In less than ten years, Shake Shack has gone from a simple hot dog stand to a sensational phenomenon, opening 488 locations worldwide and earning over a billion in total revenue. This success is even more astounding given its humble start as part of an art show in the then-rundown Madison Square Park in New York, all the way back in 2001.
Shake Shack was originally part of Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), a group of restaurants owned by legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer. Born in St Louis, Missouri, Meyer grew up surrounded by a robust food culture and Midwestern geniality. This geniality served as the foundation for enlightened hospitality, an operating approach that has since become famous in the restaurant industry. To put it simply, Meyer prioritises his employees’ welfare above everything else, focusing on how they can show care for one another. From there, their hospitality would then extend to their customers, their community, their suppliers, and finally their investors.
By 2000, Meyer was already a reasonably successful restaurateur, with four restaurants to his name. His latest two, located in the Metlife building, were a stone’s throw away from Madison Square Park. The neighbourhood used to be glamorous.But ever since the Great Depression, it had been on the decline. By the time Meyer started at the Metlife building, the park was decrepit, and ...
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