Beginning today at 11 a.m, St. Louisans have an additional Shake Shack location to grab a signature Shackburger, Chicken Shack, or a Shack Dog, a 100 percent Vienna beef hot dog that gets split and griddled crisp, before being served on a non-GMO Martin’s potato roll, a paean to its humble beginnings as a hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park almost 20 years ago.
Meyer previously told SLM that the company’s modern-day roadside burger stand was based on his experiences as a youth, at such places as Fitz’s, Steak ‘n Shake, and Ted Drewes.
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“The best thing that could happen to us on a Saturday afternoon was if my dad would say, “Come on. We’re driving to Fitz’s,” he said.
The first St. Louis outpost opened in the Central West End in December 2017 (it was the busiest opening of any Shake Shack to date) and has been a popular destination ever since.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s opening will be different than other locations in the past. For the foreseeable future, ordering will take place online or through the Shack Shack app. As part of Shake Shack’s safety initiative, all to-go and delivery orders will be placed in safely sealed bags. All outside tables are cleaned and sanitized after use with an approved sanitizer. All Shake Shack employees will wear face masks and gloves.
The 92-seat dining room at the new location (a former Pei Wei), is not yet open, but the patio will be open for “picnic dining” beginning today, with suggestions and restrictions, such as no outside food or drink is allowed. General manager Ryan Hux says he’s adopting a phased approach, and will open up with a limited menu (no concretes) and patio seating, today the entire patio in a matter of days, and then the dining room.
Since its inception, Shake Shack has been socially conscious and makes a point of supporting local vendors and donating to local causes. In addition to the classic offerings—100 percent Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, shakes, crinkle-cut fries, craft beer, and wine—when it gets up to full speed, the Ladue Crossing Shack will be serving up several local concretes, including the Butter Cake Blues, with vanilla custard, strawberry purée, and gooey butter cake from Park Avenue Coffee. And just as it does in the CWE, the Ladue Crossing location will donate 5 percent of its sales of the Pie Oh My! concrete to support Forest Park Forever. And on opening day, for every order placed, the Ladue Crossing location will also donate a meal to Forest Park Forever.
