Video: Danny Meyer, on the Shake Shack Origin Story
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 30, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Big Think has a video interview with New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer, the man behind one of AHT's fave burger joints, The Shake Shack. Scrub ahead to 1:35, which is where the relevant Shake Shack info is. Or, just read our transcription after the jump.
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and I basically have two incredibly fond memories of being a teenager there—as soon as I could get the keys to my parents' car. One was going to Ted Drewes for frozen custard, and one was going to Steak 'n Shake, where back in those days they had curbside service. So after a party, you'd go to Steak 'n Shake. Or after a rock concert, you'd go to Steak 'n Shake.
It dawned on me that when we had an opportunity to create a reason for people to use this beautiful park—Madison Square Park—morning noon and night—and that makes a park safer when people are using it—that in New York where we don't have an automobile culture necessarily, we still have reasons that human beings want to get together.
Whereas these burger-and-shake stands from the 1950s, 1960s, and even the 1970s really grew up in areas where people used their cars and they would hang out in the parking lot. So we said, "Why can't a parking lot be a park?" And that's how it came to be, and, tell you what, we envisioned, we dreamed of what it could be but never imagined that people would fall in love with it to the degree they did"
His favorite thing on the menu at the Shack: Vanilla frozen custard with coffee in it. He has the staff make it for him, but sometimes it's on the menu. [via Grub Street NY]
Shake Shack
Madison Ave and East 23rd Street, Southeast Corner of Madison Square Park, New York, NY 10010 (map); 212-889-6600
366 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024 (at 77th Street; map); 646-747-8770 shakeshacknyc.com
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1 Comment:
Ted Drewe's is the best. Also one of my favorite memories of growing up in St. Louis.
Kanger at 3:02PM on 10/01/09