Shack Attack

Will the ‘Shacking of America’ Make a Pitstop in America’s Birthplace?

Shake Shack
Shake Shack Photo: Shanna Ravindra

There’s a feature on New York’s Shake Shack in today’s New York Times and while it’s full of fascinating tidbits on owner Danny Meyer’s fast food philosophy (and mind-boggling profits), the part that intrigued us is the most is his plan to open 20 Shacks, “mostly up and down the East Coast.” Philadelphia, as you may already be aware, is both up and down the East Coast. Would we welcome a Shake Shack in, say, Rittenhouse Square, which just hired the same consultant who revitalized New York’s Bryant Park to figure out ways to better monetize itself?

Or how about in Dilworth Plaza in front of City Hall, which actually looks really charming for a change with the Bavarian Christmas Village set up in front of it? Up in Beantown, locals are torn over rumored plans to plop a Shack in Boston Common - apparently, a Big Apple-based business in a local park is just too much of an insult for Red Sox fans -but we already have a locally-owned fake shack in one of our historic squares, Stephen Starr’s SquareBurger in Franklin Square, and we’d still welcome another contender. After all, this is the City of Brotherly Love and besides, we’re pretty used to being New Yorked on down here.

The ‘Shacking of America’ Has Commenced [Grub Street]

Will the ‘Shacking of America’ Make a Pitstop in America’s