Shake Shack restaurants

Serving Up Delicious Burgers & Shakes

Shake Shack is an American restaurant chain based in New York City.

It started out as a hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, and its popularity steadily grew.

The company claims to use all-natural 100% Angus beef only and says that its meat has neither hormones nor antibiotics.

It has been one of the fastest-growing food chains eventually becoming a public company filing for an initial public offering of stock in late 2014.

Shake Shack operates 136 locations internationally as of October 2017, typically located in stand-alone restaurants and shopping malls.

The Shake Shack restaurant chain celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2019. The main birthday party was the branded “ShackBurger”. Over the past one and a half decades, the signature burger has embodied the company's key principles: high quality, authentic taste and original recipe, firmly associated with the spirit of New York.

15 years later and forever

In fact, the history of Shake Shack dates back to 2001. The brand was born during the renovation of one of the most famed public parks in New York — Madison Square. To attract citizens to the renovated park, the establishments organized an exhibition and put up a small cart of hot dogs. However, the typical street food outlet was so successful with visitors that it operated for three years instead of one season.

After assessing the prospects, the authorities arranged a tender for the construction of an enduring establishment, and the winner was Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), the owner of that very hot dog cart. Soon, a new building called Shake Shack was built in its usual place. It was there that in 2004 the guests were given the opportunity to get to know ShackBurger for the first time, which was destined to become legendary.

Harmony in every element

Headquartered in New York, Shake Shack's chefs carefully select ingredients and refine formulations to ensure the perfect blend of ingredients. Cutlets are prepared using a special technology from premium Angus beef. Thanks to its less porous consistency, the branded bun will not get soaked prematurely by meat juice and sauce, and its elastic structure keeps all the ingredients in place. ShackBurger also includes American cheddar, fresh salad, juicy tomatoes and signature Shack sauce.

An assortment for every taste: “Smokestack” with imported hot peppers and bacon; StairMaster — meat, cheese and shallots marinated in dark beer; "Chik'nShak" — white chicken cutlet with salad and pickled cucumbers; “BBQ StairMaster” and “BBQ Chick'nShak”.

Hotdogs are an integral part of the Shake Shack history, so in the restaurants of the chain you can always find signature dishes created according to the original recipe.

Nice additions to main courses

The main side dish for a burger is, of course, French fries of a special grooved shape. Guests can choose from regular fries, potatoes with cheese sauce, gravy and chopped bacon, bacon and herbal sauce. Some time ago, as a seasonal novelty, BBQ bacon fries were added to the menu, which won such a love of visitors that it remained in restaurants forever.

Shake Shack recently introduced traditional American breakfasts to the regular menu, from a light Grill Cheese sandwich with American cheese and an egg, cheese and bacon sandwich to airy Viennese waffles with a scoop of ice cream and sweet topping. And all this accompanied by first-class coffee made from freshly ground 100% Arabica beans.

Among alcoholic drinks, the menu includes dark and light Varka beer from a private home brewery, as well as wines from six countries of the world.

Social responsibility

Shake Shack is a socially responsible and sustainable company. Cardboard boxes and waxed food envelopes are made from recycled materials, and furnishings such as tables are made from recycled materials. Even lettering and design details are applied using soy ink instead of chemical ink. It uses soybean oil in deep-fried, cooking oil from the kitchen is used to produce clean energy, and food waste is processed into useful compost.

Shake Shack offers a modern take on classic American cuisine in a welcoming, lively atmosphere. He became a real legend for New Yorkers. The Shake Shack story began with a hot dog kiosk that opened in Madison Square Park in Manhattan in 2001. In the first season, unprecedented queues began to line up to him. Each summer, the kiosk reopened, the lines grew, and in 2004 the Shake Shack became a full-time restaurant. To this day, the ever-rushing New Yorkers and tourists are ready to stand and wait for their burger as long as it takes. For a New York City spoiled by great restaurants and quality food, this is truly a unique phenomenon.

Shake Shack is part of Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), which has opened a range of gourmet restaurants over the past 27 years: Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, The Modern, Cafe 2 and Terrace 5, located in Museum of Modern Art, Maialino, Untitled and North End Grill. Danny Meyer and USHG have won an unprecedented number of James Beard Awards — the most prestigious culinary award known as the Culinary Oscar. Their track record includes 25 Beard Awards and many other awards.