A redesigned, full-service eatery will reopen its doors later this month on U.S. 31 in Alabaster, and will bring about 40 new jobs to the city.

Alabaster’s Po Folks Express closed its doors Sept. 30, as crews began working to renovate the relatively new eatery.

When it reopens, the restaurant will offer a “full-service, full-menu” experience, as opposed to the fast food-style atmosphere previously offered at the restaurant.

“Our target reopen date is Oct. 26, but it would be safe to say we will be open again by the end of the month,” Larry Barton, the restaurant’s general manager, said. “We are well into our remodeling right now, and we have a training team from the corporate offices coming in to train all the new staff.”

Because the restaurant will begin offering table service, it will be hiring about 40 new full- and part-time employees, Barton explained.

“We are staffing up to do some big business when we reopen,” Barton said. “We will be offering the standard Po Folks menu, as opposed to the limited, fast food menu we had before.

“The Alabaster Po Folks express was actually an experiment,” Barton added. “People would come in and say they were used to full service at a Po Folks, so that’s what we will be giving them.”