Eater reports that in an earnings call with investors, the Shack revealed some new plans coming soon. First, you may remember that Chick'n Shack sandwiches were released nationwide in January 2016. The fried chicken sandwiches became very popular very fast, and Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti said that "[t]he introduction of chicken marks a new era for Shake Shack, staying true to our core menu while continuing to innovate new items our guests have asked for." It has since become one of the Shack’s top three best-selling menu items.
Fast forward to today's news and we can talk about the first of three plans in the works:
Limited-time-only chicken sandwiches in 2017
The limited-time-only chicken sandwich will be accompanied by a limited-time-only burger as well. The burger, called The Barbecue Shackmeister, will be topped with beer-marinated crispy shallots and Shack barbecue sauce, and its chicken friend, called the Barbecue Chick’n Shack, will be a crispy chicken breast, also topped with Shack barbecue sauce. Keep an eye out for these, as the actual release date isn’t clear, but they are said to be debuting about a quarter into the year into 2017 (April?).
Aside from the chicken news, you’ll also start seeing a limited-time trio of shakes during the holiday season, so keep an eye out for that as well!
Expansion of mobile-ordering
Next, the chain is focusing on app-order expansion. It has begun offering app ordering in New York’s Midtown East Shack, which has been cutting down on wait time in the store. Now, the app is being expanded to two more New York locations. One is on the Upper East Side, the other in Brooklyn. “As it’s tested, we will patiently roll it out [elsewhere] over time,” says Garutti. Looking forward to it!
Delivery is still offered through third-party apps, and that’s not expected to change.
Breakfast!
Currently, breakfast is available in a few select Shacks, and as that is tested, new grab’n’go options will be available, along with coffee, juice and sausage sandwiches. Let’s hope these changes make their way nationwide as well!