By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster’s new Steak ‘n Shake is scheduled to celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 23 after inclement weather throughout July delayed construction on the restaurant by a few weeks.

The restaurant originally was scheduled to open on Aug. 9, but several days of heavy rains and flooding in Alabaster pushed the opening back two weeks, said Steak ‘n Shake of Central Alabama Chief Operating Office Claire Thomas.

“We had a little setback with all the bad weather,” Thomas said.

Crews are putting the finishing touches on the building, which already features Steak ‘n Shake signage and color schemes. The restaurant is off U.S. 31 near J.C. Penny in the southern portion of the Colonial Promenade shopping center.

Once the restaurant opens, it will employ about 136 people, Thomas said.

“We are still hiring, but we are very close to hitting our goal,” she said, noting job candidates can apply at the restaurant site or on Snagajob.com.

The grand opening ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 23, and will feature several local and state officials and a ribbon-cutting by the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the restaurant will open to the public at 10 a.m.