Shake Shack puts the brakes on Seattle opening for ‘last minute adjustments’
Oct 5, 2018, 1:59 PM
Locals are going to have to wait for Shake Shack’s grand opening at least for a little while, with the burger chain postponing its Seattle opening.
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“Some last minute adjustments… needed to be made,” the company said in a statement, but promising in a Tweet to open “very soon.”
We’re feeling sleepless ’til Seattle! Due to some last-minute adjustments our South Lake Union Shack won’t be opening on 10/6 as planned, but we’re comin’ to the Emerald City very soon. (Good things come to those who wait…😉) We're pumped to see you all again! pic.twitter.com/M3R13uFtOZ
— SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) October 4, 2018
Set to open at 2115 Westlake Ave., Shake Shack’s first Washington location is likely to benefit from a close proximity to Amazon’s significant presence in the Denny Triangle.
In addition, concerted efforts have been made from the chain to appeal directly to Seattleites, spearheaded by CEO and former Canlis GM, Randy Garutti.
“I think Seattle has a pride among the strongest of any city I’ve ever known,” Garutti told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “Because of that, we just really wanted to go a little deeper for Seattle and make sure everybody knew how committed we were.”
Those efforts include the chain’s first city-specific burger, the Montlake Double Cut, as well as a locally-commissioned art installment, and ingredients sourced from local fixtures like Theo Chocolate, Macrina Bakery, and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.
Whether any of that will be enough to sway customers loyal to Seattle chains like Dick’s Drive-In, Red Mill, and Li’l Woody’s remains a question. That makes Shake Shack’s location near Amazon’s Seattle hub that much more strategic, as a company housing a healthy percentage of transplants to the city.
For now, Seattle will continue to await Shake Shack’s debut until further notice.
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