Shake Shack runs burger restaurants, which it calls Shacks. The menu centers on made-to-order Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken, fries, milkshakes, lemonades, beer and wine. It started as a hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park and opened its first Shack there in 2004. Guests order in the Shack, at kiosks, through its app and website, or for delivery through services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash.
At the end of 2025 there were 659 Shacks: 373 run by the company and 286 run by licensees, including Shacks in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Dubai. Sales at its own Shacks made up 96.3% of revenue in 2025. The rest is licensing revenue: fees and sales-based royalties from partners that run licensed Shacks. Shake Shack says it competes with other fast casual, quick service and casual dining restaurants, and also with grocery stores and meal subscription services.
The company had 13,873 team members at the end of 2025, most of them hourly workers and Shack managers. In 2025 it opened 45 new company-run Shacks, and it says it has a target of about 1,500 company-run Shacks. A new Shack cost about $2.3 million on average to build in 2025.