How Shake Shack served up a new era of fast casual dining.

Shaking up Madison Square.

Opportunity knocked for Danny Meyer when he heard about an art installation coming to Madison Square Park that included a hot dog cart. It was 2001 and Meyer, then the owner of Eleven Madison Park, embraced the opportunity to prove that his theories on customer service could expand to fast food. NOMAD Magazine talked to Meyer about the journey of Shake Shack:

NM Shake Shack started as a modest hot dog stand. At what point did you understand that this was bigger than that?

DM When we began operating our hot dog cart in the summer of 2001, alongside the art project, “I ❤️ Taxi,” the lines for a Chicago style hot dog were staggering. People loved the dogs so much that the community pretty much begged us to bring back the cart the following summer. And then again for a third summer in 2003. By this point, the cart had been profiled on four national TV news stations — CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN. Rather than bringing back the cart for a fourth year, we decided to see if we could convert it into a permanent kiosk. Shake Shack was born in 2004.

NM Shake Shack was clearly an immediate hit with the neighborhood, but what were some of the obstacles that it faced upon opening?

DM Shake Shack attracted lines of hungry New Yorkers from the first day we opened. We had added frozen custard, burgers, and fries to our menu, which we were calling “Shackago Dogs.” On day one, the frozen custard machine broke — which was no fun. Soon enough, we learned that the Shack Burger was a big star. On some days the line would be nearly an hour long, extendcing all the way to the Seward statue on 23rd and Broadway. The length of the line became somewhat of an obstacle. It was a bit like the Yogi Berra expression, “the line is so long no one comes here anymore!”

NM What is Shake Shack’s secret to becoming an international success? Is it the recipes? The locations? All of the above?

DM Shake Shack works because it serves food people know, but perhaps better than they knew it could be. And we have always valued an uplifting workplace culture, believing that the experience of working here, directly impacts the experience our guests have dining here. We bring a sense of humility to each new city or country in which we open, respecting and trying to understand their unique culture before imposing our own. That has served us well, and Shake Shack is now in 18 countries outside of the United States.

NM How have you weaved philanthropy into the additional locations of Shake Shack?

DM Shake Shack will typically connect one of its menu items to both a local food producer and a local cause, and then give that menu item a local name. We then donate a percentage of the sales of that item to a local community organization and challenge our team to roll up their sleeves and be involved.

How Shake Shack served up a new era of fast casual dining is truly a fascinating story about Danny Meyer’s vision and philanthropy