A new restaurant will open next month in Jemison as part of a continued effort for growth throughout the city.

“We are excited about the growth that is happening,” Jemison Mayor Eddie Reed said. “Businesses coming to the area is vital for development and we are seeing some exciting things happening.”

Red Zone Sports Grill will open in the former location of The Sandwich Depot and The Rose Café next to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Jemison.

Restaurant owners Todd Bowen and Jamie Storey said the restaurant will be “family-friendly” and similar to Buffalo Wild Wings.

“We will have 10 televisions and pool tables,” Storey said. “We will also have an outdoor patio.”

Storey and Bowen also own the Red Zone Bar and Grill in Calera.

The roughly 3,300-square-feet-restaurant will offer a variety of food including wings, burgers, Philly Cheese Steaks and a meat-and-three option.

Storey said the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight with lunch and dinner options available.

In addition to the new restaurant opening, Reed said Maciel Recovery and Recycling, an industrial waste stream recycler on County Road 42, intends to build an office building alongside the recycling business with hopes to employ more people.

The company recycles wooden and plastic crates and pallets, scrap metal, wood, cardboard and plastics.

Reed was selected to serve on the 2014-2015 board of directors for the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham in February which will help with development in Jemison.

Reed said by serving on the board, it will allow him to attend meetings to bring attention to Chilton County for continued development.

“The meetings allow representatives from different counties to attend and talk about what is going on in those areas,” Reed said. “What we are trying to do is let everyone know that Interstate 65 Exit 219 is open for business.”

Reed said another development near Exit 219 near M&M Boats is being constructed to serve as a retail/warehouse that is available for lease.

“The building will serve as a location for office space or a small distribution company if a business wants to lease the area,” Reed said.

Although there is no date for when the building will be open, Reed anticipates the building to be finished at some point this year.

“We are trying to bring things for our citizens like eateries and small strip malls to provide the basic needs of a small shopping area,” Reed said. “We want to grow but we also want to keep the small town atmosphere.”

Reed said the economy in recent years has hindered economic growth in the city but is hopeful the economy will continue to improve.

“The economy is getting better and now it is time to focus on bringing businesses to our area,” Reed said. “We hope we can provide local jobs for our people and we will be able to do that by attracting more individuals to our area.”