Shake Shack Is Finally Opening At Grand Central Station
The new outpost will be located in the lower-level dining concourse, according to Crain's New York, joining the likes of Magnolia Bakery, Junior's Restaurant, and Zaro's Bakery.
The 34th Shake Shack location will have a few original menu items, including the chain's new hand-cut fries, on-the-go ShackMeister Ale bottles, and its own signature concrete dessert called the "GCT Crunch-stellation" with vanilla frozen custard, malt, Valrhona chocolate, and chocolate toffee pieces.
The opening will bring the burger chain's two-and-a-half-year real estate saga to a close. Back in 2011, Shake Shack bought the 2,300-square-foot space for its new location, but former tenant Zócalo refused to vacate the premises, saying that the bidding process was "corrupted." It eventually filed for bankruptcy and was evicted in early 2013, according to Crain's.
Crain's reports that Shake Shack's 10-year lease will be $100,000 higher than what Zócalo was paying, at $435,000 a year. New York Magazine's Grub Street food blog did the math, and said that it equals roughly 94,565 single ShackBurgers.
The new Grand Central Terminal Shake Shack will be giving away sweatbands and "Shack Shades" to the first customers this Saturday, according to Crain's, so line up early.