HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - A high-demand Alabama business serving sweet, cold treats is coming to Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville.

The 7-year-old outdoor shopping development announced this week that Homewood-based Steel City Pops will launch a 1,200-square-foot shop next spring in the south retail district next to Lime Fresh Mexican Grill.

The gourmet frozen pop business started in the Homewood suburb in the summer of 2012 and has since opened stores on U.S. 280 in Birmingham, at The Summit, Crestline Village and in Tuscaloosa. The company branched into the Dallas and Fort Worth markets in the spring of 2013.

Steel City Pops owner Jim Watkins said he had been searching for a space at Bridge Street for a while, but none of the available properties "felt quite right" until the facility near Lime and the new $20 million Belk department store became available.

"It just felt like the perfect spot for us," he said. "We had actually been looking at Huntsville almost since we opened. This was the first thing that felt like, 'Yeah, this is a good fit for us.'"

Steel City Pops offers a diverse flavor selection, ranging from cinnamon apple, lime and cranberry to orange, poached pear and pomegranate. The Alabama company also has more adventurous flavors, including maple bacon with bourbon, carrot cake, sweet potato pecan and pumpkin.

Watkins said flavors change seasonally, but they also try to keep up with the hottest food trends. Some of its best-selling flavors are strawberry, chocolate, coffee, buttermilk and blood orange.

Fruity and creamy pops range from 100 to 189 calories, Watkins said. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.

"Whatever your nutritional goals are as it relates to sweets, we feel like we have something for just about everyone," he said. "They're all natural and we don't use any artificial ingredients, fillers or preservatives."

Watkins hopes to open the Huntsville shop in March and hire approximately 20 employees. The space will have high ceilings, lots of natural light, customer seating, a serving counter, restrooms and a walk-in freezer to store the pops. The products will be made in Homewood and delivered to the Huntsville location.

Bridge Street will welcome several other new businesses in the coming months: BRAVO! Cucina Italiana (February 2015), SHADES (holidays 2014), Texas de Brazil (December 2014), and Orvis (November 2014).