“I like being in a small town and being close to family. I grew up in a small town that basically doesn’t exist anymore. The industries died, and that’s happening to small towns all over the country – not just here. We’re seeing this area grow though and in the last two years, we’ve had a lot more people come downtown. You know, living in Greenville is kind of like living in an area of New Orleans because everything in New Orleans was centered around the neighborhood that you lived in, and it’s the same thing here.” – Resa Bates of Greenville.

Bates, who is originally from Fort Deposit, is a co-owner of the Alabama Grill in downtown Greenville, which opened in April 2019. She previously lived in Charleston and New Orleans before moving back to Camellia City.

Resa Bates likes that her business is part of the growth of a small town’s downtown. (Amber Sutton / People of Alabama)

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.