UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K


     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934





Date  of  Report  (Date  of  earliest  event  reported)     December  29,  2004
                                                            -------------------

                            THE STEAK N SHAKE COMPANY
                            -------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

             INDIANA               000-08445          37-0684070
             -------               ---------          ----------
     (State or other jurisdiction (Commission        (IRS Employer
          of incorporation)       File Number)     Identification No.)

                     36 SOUTH PENNSYLVANIA STREET, SUITE 500
                           INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46204
                           ---------------------------
              (Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)

Registrant's  telephone  number,  including  area  code     (317)  633-4100
                                                            ---------------

                                 NOT APPLICABLE
                                 --------------
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)




Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if  the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following  provisions:

     Written  communications  pursuant  to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
CFR 230.425)

     Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)

     Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
Exchange  Act  (17  CFR  240.14d-2(b))

     Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
Exchange  Act  (17  CFR  240.13e-4(c))










ITEM  1.01     ENTRY  INTO  A  MATERIAL  DEFINITIVE  AGREEMENT

     On  November  10,  2004,  the  Registrant  announced  that its wholly owned
subsidiary,  Steak n Shake Operations, Inc., ("SNS Operations"), entered into an
Agreement  and  Plan  of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Kelley Restaurants
Inc,  the Registrant's largest franchisee ("KRI"), and SNS Merger Corp, a wholly
owned  subsidiary  of SNS Operations ("Subcorp"), pursuant to which Subcorp will
merge  with  and  into KRI, with KRI being the surviving company (the "Merger").
The  Merger  was  completed  on December 29, 2004.  The net value transferred at
closing  was  approximately  $17.5  million, which includes adjustments for debt
repayment,  working  capital  and  other  items.  As a result of the Merger, KRI
became  a  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  SNS  Operations.

     In  connection  with the closing of the Merger, SNS Operations entered into
an  employment  agreement  with  Wayne Kelley, the President of KRI.  Mr. Kelley
serves  as  a director on the Board of Directors for both the Registrant and SNS
Operations.  Pursuant  to  the  employment  agreement,  Mr. Kelley will remain a
full-time  employee  of KRI for a period of two years and sixteen weeks.  During
the  term of the agreement, Mr. Kelley will report to the Registrant's President
and  Chief  Executive Officer and shall perform duties that are requested by the
Registrant's  President  and  Chief  Executive Officer.  His duties will include
effectively  merging  the  two  entities,  evaluating  real  estate  sites,  and
involvement  and  participation  in  the Registrant's executive management team.
Mr.  Kelley  will  receive  an  annual  salary of $205,000 per year and shall be
entitled  to  a  bonus  of  $56,923  if  he  is still employed at the end of the
employment period. Additionally,  Mr. Kelley shall be entitled to participate in
any and all benefit plans offered by the Registrant or its subsidiaries to those
in  positions  similar  to  Mr.  Kelley's.

     A  copy  of  the  employment  agreement is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this
report and the information set forth therein is incorporated herein by reference
and  constitutes  a  part  of  this  report.

ITEM  9.01     FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS  AND  EXHIBITS

     (c)     Exhibits

     10.1     Employment  Agreement  between  Wayne  Kelley  and  Steak  n Shake
Operations,  Inc.




                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has  duly  caused  this  report  to  be  signed on its behalf by the
undersigned  hereunto  duly  authorized.

                                   Dated:  December  29,  2004

                                   THE  STEAK  n  SHAKE  COMPANY


                                   By:/s/  Jeffrey  A.  Blade
                                      -----------------------
                                      Jeffrey A. Blade, Senior Vice President
                                      and Chief  Financial  Officer



EXHIBIT  10.1
-------------


                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     This  Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into effective this
29th  day of December, 2004, between Wayne Kelley ("Employee") and Steak n Shake
Operations,  Inc.  ("SNS").

WHEREAS,  Employee  is  employed  by  Kelley  Restaurants,  Inc. ("KRI"), in the
capacity  of  President;  and

WHEREAS,  SNS has contracted to merge one of its subsidiaries into KRI, with the
surviving  Company  to  continue  to  be known as Kelley Restaurants, Inc. (also
"KRI"  herein)  on  or  before  December 29, 2004 (the date the merger is closed
being the "Acquisition Date") and desires that Employee remain employed with KRI
for  two  (2)  years  and  sixteen  (16)  weeks  after the Acquisition Date; and

NOW  THEREFORE,  based  on the foregoing premises and the following promises and
representations, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by
both  parties,  the  parties  agree  as  follows:

1.     TERM  OF  AGREEMENT  AND  RESIGNATION.  Employee shall remain a full-time
       --------------------------------------
employee  of KRI for two (2) years and sixteen (16) weeks after this Acquisition
Date and hereby resigns from his employment with KRI effective two (2) years and
sixteen  (16)  weeks  from  the  Acquisition  Date  (the  "Resignation  Date").
Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  Employee's  employment  hereunder  may  be
terminated,  and  Employee  shall  have  no  further  rights  or  expectation of
employment  hereunder,  in  the  event  that Employee: is convicted of or pleads
guilty to a felony or crime of moral turpitude, ; violates any of SNS's or KRI's
policies  and  does  not  cure  such  violation within 10 days of notice (to the
extent  a  cure  of the policy at issue is possible); violates the terms of this
Agreement;  subjects  SNS  or  KRI  to  legal  liability to a third party or any
governmental  entity  as a result of his actions or omissions; or fails, refuses
or  is  unable  to  perform  the  duties  required of him in Paragraph 2 of this
Agreement.

2.     DUTIES.  At  all  times  after  the  Acquisition  Date  and  prior to the
       -------
Resignation  Date  Employee  shall report to SNS's President and Chief Executive
Officer  and  shall  perform  such  duties as are requested of Employee by SNS's
President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer.  Employee's duties shall be primarily
performed  in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  Charlotte,  North  Carolina, or Indianapolis,
Indiana  and  shall  generally  involve the effective merger of SNS's subsidiary
into KRI, evaluation of real estate sites, and  involvement and participation in
SNS's executive management team.  Employee shall use his best efforts to perform
the  duties required of him and shall not hold any other positions or employment
without prior written approval from SNS's President and Chief Executive Officer.
It  is  anticipated  by  the  parties that Employee will devote approximately 40
hours  per  week to his duties.  Employee shall be entitled to four (4) weeks of
paid  vacation  per year and 10 sick days per full year of employment.  Employee
shall  devote  his  full efforts to his duties hereunder and shall not engage in
any  other  employment,  consulting  or  self-employment  without  SNS's written
consent.  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  Employee shall be free to pursue and
work  on  behalf  of  a  franchise  of  SNS  that  would  be  owned  by Employee
individually  or  by  a  corporate  entity of which he would be a shareholder or
member.  During  the  term of this Agreement KRI shall provide Employee with the
use of office space and office equipment including but not limited to computers,
telephones,  fax machines, e-mail, internet access, substantively similar to the
office  space  and  equipment  available  to  the employees of the Steak n Shake
Company's  other  subsidiaries  located  at  its  main  corporate  offices.

3.     COMPENSATION.  Employee's  annual  base salary hereunder beginning on the
       -------------
Acquisition  Date  shall be $205,000, payable in bi-weekly installments on KRI's
normal  and customary pay days.  Employee shall also be entitled to earn a bonus
of  $56,923.08,  which  will  be  earned,  due and payable in a lump sum only if
Employee  is  employed  by  SNS  on the last date of the term of this Agreement.
Employee  shall  also be entitled to use of a vehicle provided by SNS typical of
those  provided  to  executives of SNS, subject to Employee's adherence to SNS's
automobile  use  policies.

4.     EMPLOYEE  BENEFITS.  Except  as  otherwise  excluded  by his service as a
       -------------------
Director  of  SNS's parent Company, Employee shall be entitled to participate in
any  and  all  benefit plans provided by KRI to its employees, including but not
limited  to,  KRI's  group  medical  plan, group life insurance plan, short-term
disability  plan,  long-term disability plan, vacation plan, sick pay plan, 401k
and Profit Sharing Plan, or any other employee benefit plan typically offered by
KRI  to its executives.  Employee's benefits under any of KRI's employee benefit
plans  shall be governed by the terms of such plans.  Employee shall be credited
with  all time he served as an employee of KRI under all of KRI's benefit plans.
Should any KRI Employee Benefit Plans in existence on the date of this Agreement
(a  "KRI  Plan")  be  terminated  KRI  shall either transfer Employee to another
subsidiary  of  the  Steak n Shake Company that offers a comparable plan to that
which  was  terminated  or  gross Employee up for any loss of benefits resulting
from  the  termination  of  the  KRI  Plan.

5.     CONFIDENTIALITY.  Employee shall not share any information regarding KRI,
       ----------------
SNS or any of its parent, employees, directors, corporate affiliates or those of
its  parent  with  any  person  or  entity  without  the  prior  consent of SNS.
Notwithstanding  the  foregoing, nothing shall prevent Employee from sharing any
information  that  is  already  in  the  public  domain  at  the  time  Employee
communicates  it.

6.     MODIFICATION  AND  WAIVER.     This  Agreement  may  only  be modified by
       --------------------------
written document signed by the Chief Executive Officer of SNS and Employee.  The
failure  to enforce this Agreement or the waiver of any breach of this Agreement
shall  not  constitute  the  waiver  of  any  future  breach or any other rights
contained  herein.

7.     VENUE,  JURISDICTION  AND GOVERNING LAW.  Employee and SNS agree that any
       ----------------------------------------
suit  or  claim  arising  out of this Agreement or seeking to remedy a breach of
this  Agreement  shall  only  be  brought  in the state courts in Marion County,
Indiana  or  the  Federal  District  Court for the Southern District of Indiana,
Indianapolis Division.  This Agreement shall be construed only under the laws of
the  State  of  Indiana,  notwithstanding  any  conflict  of  laws provisions or
decision.  Employee  also  agrees  that  in  the event that a court finds that a
provision  of  this  Agreement  is  not  enforceable, the court shall strike the
offending  provision  and  the  remainder  of  this  Agreement  shall  be  fully
enforceable.

8.     EVIDENCE.  Notwithstanding any foregoing provision, this Agreement may be
       ---------
used  by  SNS  as  evidence  in  any  claim  brought  by  Employee  against SNS.

9.     RESTRICTIVE  COVENANT.  Employee  agrees  and  understands  that  his
       ----------------------
performance  of  services  for  a  direct  competitor  of  SNS  would  cause SNS
significant  harm.  Accordingly, he agrees that for a period of 1 year after the
last  payment  hereunder,  he  shall  not  perform  services  as  an  employee,
contractor,  consultant,  or  in any other capacity for any direct competitor of
SNS in the Atlanta, Georgia or Charlotte, North Carolina DMAs.  For the purposes
of this paragraph, a direct competitor shall be deemed to include Culvers or any
restaurant  that serves or purports to serve or plans to serve "Steakburgers" or
hand-dipped  milkshakes  or  operates  as  a  diner-style  concept.  Employee
understands and agrees that the consideration set forth herein is sufficient for
this  agreement  on  his  part  and  that  the  restriction  set forth herein is
reasonable  in  both  geographic  scope  and  type  of work restricted.  He also
understands  and  agrees  that the restriction set forth herein shall not impair
his  ability  to  obtain  suitable  employment  in  his  field  of  expertise.
Notwithstanding anything herein, nothing shall prevent Employee from pursuing or
being  considered  for  franchise  opportunities  with  SNS.

10.     COMPLETE  AGREEMENT.  Employee agrees that this written Agreement is the
        --------------------
complete  and entire agreement between him and SNS and that he has not relied on
any  representation  by  SNS  or  its  agents  or  counsel.

THIS  AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO AS OF THE DATE ABOVE WRITTEN AND EMPLOYEE AGREES
TO  BE  BOUND  BY  ITS  TERMS  BY  SIGNING  BELOW:

Wayne  Kelley:

/s/  Wayne  Kelley
------------------

Dated:  December  29,  2004
       --------------------

"STEAK  N  SHAKE  OPERATIONS,  INC."

By:     /s/Peter  M.  Dunn
           ---------------

Printed:     Peter  M.  Dunn
             ---------------

Dated:     December  29,  2004
           -------------------