Danny Meyer Talks Shake Shack’s Influence on the Restaurant Industry | Eater

"Starting as a hot dog cart in 2001 to help revitalize Madison Square Park, we opened a permanent Shack three years later and were immediately met with epic lines and a legend. It’s counter-service elevated by hospitality: Pat LaFrieda–sourced smash burgers on Martin’s potato rolls served in crisp paper sleeves; crinkle-cut fries (sometimes cheese-topped); a standout mushroom vegetarian burger; and rotating frozen custards (on opening day our custard machine broke and we had to 86 custard by 3 p.m.). In the early years we operated seasonally, used a Shack Cam to gauge the line, hand-packed leftover custard pints to avoid waste, and gradually shifted balance from hot dogs to burgers and fries. The Shack’s emphasis on the same quality ingredients and hospitality we use in full-service restaurants helped it grow slowly at first (100 restaurants in 10 years, now 400+ worldwide) and ultimately reshape the fine-casual/chef-driven quick-service landscape; there are plans to expand much further. My standard order is a double cheeseburger with a slice of raw onion and fries (often with something “for the table”), and I still wish we could bring back the Coffee Shake, which I think paired with fries like Sauternes and foie gras." - Amy McCarthy