By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A Birmingham businessman is looking to open the doors to the first Steak ‘n Shake restaurant in the Birmingham metro area in late June 2012.

Clarence Moss, who recently secured an area development agreement giving him rights to open and operate Steak ‘n Shake restaurants in central Alabama, said he is planning to open his first Steak ‘n Shake restaurant next to the J.C. Penney store in Alabaster by June 21.

“I’d be real disappointed if we weren’t serving milkshakes by the Fourth of July,” Moss said with a laugh, noting construction on the building likely will be complete by June 3.

The new restaurant will be located near the intersection of U.S. 31 and South Colonial Drive near the southern end of the Colonial Promenade south shopping center.

Moss said there is “a lot of pent-up demand in the Birmingham area” for a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant, as the only Steak ‘n Shake restaurants currently in Alabama are in Prattville, Decatur, Mobile and Huntsville.

The demographics are real positive in Alabaster, and I am real familiar with the area,” Moss said, noting he frequented Steak ‘n Shake restaurants while he was in college in Illinois and Florida.

According to the building plans, the new restaurant will be about 3,515 square feet, and will seat about 107 people.

Steak ‘n Shake is a vintage-themed restaurant offering steak burgers, milkshakes, sandwiches and many other items. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We are moving right along,” Moss said. “We are looking to break ground within 30 days.”