Shake Shack created a domestic handmade burger boom by bringing the taste enjoyed in New York’s Madison Square Park celebrated its 7th anniversary this year. Shake Shack introduced its first store in South Korea in 2016, and now communicates with Shack-Fans at 25 stores nationwide, realizing the brand’s core value — Hospitality. Let’s take a look at Shake Shack’s footsteps over the past seven years, recreating the vibrancy of New York based on fine dining.
SPC meets Shake Shack, New York’s Fine Dining Restaurant
The first branch of Shake Shack at Madison Square Park, New York
Shake Shack is a fine casual restaurant that sells Angus beef burgers, hot dogs, crinkle cut fries, fresh custard, beer, wine, etc. Shake Shack was founded by Danny Meyer the president of the Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) which also runs popular restaurants in New York like Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern in 2004. Shake Shack, a combination of ‘Shake’ meaning milkshake and ‘Shack’ meaning ‘small cart’, was started to recreate the memories of the American classic burger sold on small carts in the past. Rooted in fine dining, it is also known for its emphasis on premium ingredients. Shake Shack is practicing its brand philosophy, Stand For Something Good (SFSG, thoughtful values needed by the world)’ through carefully selected ingredients and contribution activities with the local community.
Domestic stores designed to meet Shake Shack’s mission of pursuing a community space
In December 2015, as the news of Shake Shack’s entry into Korea became known, the meeting between a new powerhouse in the US burger market and Korea’s leading confectionery and baking company sparked a lot of buzz. When Shake Shack enters a new country, the most important thing to consider is finding the right partner. It is famous for its high standards for partner selection, to the extent that even if it has good business potential, it will delay entry into the market if it cannot find a suitable partner. Vice President, Huh Hee-soo, led the introduction of the brand through presentations and negotiations by traveling back and forth between New York and Seoul several times over the past five years. Finally, Shake Shack signed an exclusive license agreement with SPC in Korea.
The reason why Shake Shack chose SPC as a partner company is that Shake Shack’s brand mission of Good Food and Hospitality aligns with SPC’s mission of quality management, which emphasizes the use of premium ingredients and quality control. SPC’s world-class baking technology, 70-year know-how in quality, in addition to food-related infrastructure, and franchise operation including meat processing, also played a significant role in the selection of the partner company.
Shake Shack Celebrates Its 7th Birthday in Korea
Shake Shack’s 7 years of success in South Korea
On July 22, 2016, Shake Shack finally landed in Korea, starting with the Gangnam branch. On the opening day, the reaction was so explosive that there were about 1,500 people waiting to enter even in the weather exceeding 30°C. Shake Shack Gangnam store attracted an average of 3,500 to 4,000 visitors per day for the next year and sold 3,000 to 3,500 burgers, topping the sales ranking worldwide within 7 months of opening. Based on this successful strategy, Shake Shack in Korea is showing a sales growth rate of up to 25% every year. As a result, the number of stores increased more than 12 times in 7 years, and SPC was recognized for its achievements in the Korean market. In 2018, Shake Shack acquired the right to operate the Shake Shack business in Singapore.
Shake Shack’s 25th store Shake Shack Centum Busan opened on the 6th of April
This year in April, the 25th store was opened on the first floor in Shinsegae Centumcity Mall Busan succeeding in leveling up their business. Being Busan’s second Shake Shack store after Seomyeon Store, Shake Shack Centum Busan was introduced in line with the trend of enjoying eating out and shopping together. Deriving its inspiration from centum city meaning an optimum city; its characteristic is its futuristic ambiance through the use of lights and lamps. Together with the vibes of Haeundae, it provides a richer taste of Shake Shack and a hospitality experience to the residents of Busan.
Choosing and Eating at Shake Shack Is Fun!
Shake Shack’s colorful menus cater to the tastes of Shake-fans
One of the interesting things about Shake Shack is that each store has its own specialized menu that can only be found in that particular store. Each of the 25 stores, including Busan Street inspired by Busan’s signature street food, Ssiat Hotteok and Daegu’s popular snack Dalgona Daegu, etc. are selling special ‘Concretes’ (Shake Shack ice cream made with custard blended in mix-ins). In addition, by collaborating with a local brewing partner, a beer lineup is set up exclusively for the store, making Shack fans look forward to seeing what kind of unique menu they will encounter at their first store.
Every season Shake Shack has a menu that is limited to that season. Shake Shack has been introducing an American-style menu that originated in New York to South Korea, however, its outlets in the US, UK and the Philippines are also selling Gochujang Chicken Shack inspired by Korean cuisine. Among the limited-edition menus released in Korea so far, the ShackMeister Burger, Seoul Style Bulgogi Burger and Black Truffle Burger are well-loved by customers. In addition, Shake Shack has a variety of menus fun to choose from. Shake Shack is captivating fans with a diverse menu such as Shack Burger with a hint of Shake Shack’s special sauce on the beef patty, crispy and clean Crinkle Cut Fries, and Vanilla Shake with milk on custard instead of ice to make the taste richer, etc. With good ingredients, special recipes, and seasonal menus that change according to the season, customers have a new experience at Shake Shack every time.
So far, we have looked back on the 7 years that SPC and Shake Shack have been together. Shake Shack, which opened a new category in the food service industry called fine casual, is also a community for fun and enthusiastic people to gather. Please look forward to Shake Shack bringing you unique experiences and delight of gastronomy!
