Five Star Burgers Gets Green Light in Clayton

An operating permit for in has been approved. It happened Tuesday during a meeting of the city's Board of Aldermen.

The restaurant, planned at 8125 and 8125A Maryland Ave., will be owned by Steve Gontram, former owner and chef at in . A florist and photography studio previously operated there, according to a memo from City Manager Craig Owens and planning director Susan Istenes.

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Gontram said Friday that he's hopeful the restaurant will open in early August.

Menu offerings will include:

• Half-pound freshly ground hamburgers such as Steve's Blue Ribbon (applewood smoked bacon, port braised onions, creamy gorgonzola cheese and 5 Star Sauce)

• Specialty sandwiches such as the spicy grilled chicken breast (grilled chicken basted in spicy sauce and served with fried New Mexico hatch chilies, pepper jack cheese and green chile mayonnaise)

• Salads such as Know Your Roots (field greens, beets, apples, goat cheese, pine nuts and an apple cider vinaigrette)

• Milkshakes such as salted caramel (salted caramel ice cream with whipped cream and toasted marshmallow) and mint chocolate chip brownie (fudge brownies with fresh mint and chocolate chips served with whipped cream and chocolate rocks)

"The Five Star Burger operation will feature all-natural, grass-fed, hormone-free burgers ground in-house and hand-formed," the permit application states. "Five Star will be family friendly and feature table service and a full bar highlighting the burgeoning St. Louis craft beer boom."

The 2,200-square-foot building will accommodate 75 diners indoors, and there will be room for 24 more at a raised-brick patio at the front of the building. The patio will include wrought-iron furniture, including dark brown tables and vinyl-wrapped chairs.

Parking is available behind the building. Construction at the one-story building is expected to cost $175,000, according to the permit application.

Five Star Burgers will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Deliveries will be made using a back door and will occur in the morning or late afternoon. They will not happen between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Trash and recycling receptacles will be placed behind the building.

Rodemyer-Christel is the managing agent for the property.

Updates are available by following @5StarBurgersSTL on Twitter or the Five Star Burgers page on Facebook.