Shake Shack: A Burger Worth Waiting For

It seems that some restaurateurs become so entrenched in a particular neighborhood in Manhattan that they inevitably become synonymous with it. An example of this analogy might read: Batali is to Greenwich Village as David Chang is to the East Village. Another would be Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group's (USHG) association with the Gramercy area. Although Meyer's reach has expanded into into Queens (Citi Field) and will eventually become international (Dubai), Madison Square Park remains home to some of his most iconic restaurants. From basmati (Tabla) to BBQ (Blue Smoke), Meyer has found success with multiple cuisines. Yet a simple burger "shack" may be the most popular of them all. Since its inception in 2004, Shake Shack's popularity can be traced to Meyer's ability to deliver a gourmet version of a beloved food. Though it holds itself out as a "fast food" joint, rest assured, Shake Shack is anything but your average McDonald's.

For the uninitiated, Shake Shack's line is a sight to behold. A phalanx of hungry New Yorkers perpetually feeding a never-ending beast that often spills onto the nearby sidewalk during peak times. The line is so notorious that the Shake Shack website features a Shack Cam, allowing viewers to see "real-time" images of the line so they may plan their trip accordingly. Additionally, there is even an iphone application aptly called, "The Shackdown," which allows users to share this important information to their burger-loving friends. Clearly, Shake Shack is anything but "fast" food. Shake Shack's popularity may inadvertently be its own undoing. Whenever anyone mentions Shake Shack the conversation inevitably shifts to whether it's worth the wait; a topic TheChief lamented about in a post that you can read here. Coincidentally, while standing in-line on a recent visit I was approached by a tourist who asked me, "is the burger worth it?" Obviously referring to the long wait. I hesitated before replying, "it all depends." I felt bad that I couldn't give him better advice but to me, it all comes down to a subjective cost-benefit determination that may vary person-to-person. What one considers a reasonable wait may be irrational to another, and so on and so forth.