Dive Brief:
- Shake Shack is opening its second U.S. support center alongside a new flagship restaurant in Atlanta later this year, according to a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive.
- The flagship restaurant will be the first company-owned location to feature a full bar and serve cocktails, beer and wine, per the press release.
- The 25,000-square-foot support center, located near the flagship location in The Battery Atlanta, a business and retail complex near the Atlanta Braves’ stadium, will house a test kitchen, meeting spaces and training facilities, the brand said.
Dive Insight:
The center will support Shake Shack’s unit count growth target of 1,500 domestic stores, up from 336 currently operating. Shake Shack CEO Rob Lynch said in the press release that the support center expansion will help the brand “have the tools needed to fuel our next stage of growth, with spaces dedicated to enhancing how our teams connect, train and innovate.”
The new flagship location, likewise located in The Battery, is an “evolution of the brand,” and will serve Shake Shack’s core menu in addition to alcoholic beverages.
In addition to the support center, the chain has already opened a kitchen innovation lab nearby. That center, which was announced earlier this year, allows operations and development teams to test new layouts and equipment that can boost speed of service and efficiency before being rolled out to new and current restaurants. Previously, the chain would test new processes and equipment in newly built units, a strategy that typically took longer to introduce and scale new ideas.
Kitchen labs are nothing new in the restaurant industry. Chipotle has had an innovation lab since 2016, and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers opened one recently in its new support headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. Subway also opened a second headquarters in Miami in 2023 that includes a sandwich test station. McDonald’s has a similar facility at its Chicago headquarters, and Yum Brands operates a Taco Bell innovation kitchen.
Shake Shack’s investment in such a facility, and an accompanying, elevated flagship location could indicate a greater emphasis on menu changes, LTOs and premium items for the fast casual brand.
