Shaking up the Motor City

Shake Shack Concretes. Photo Source: Drexel University

DETROIT - Michigan’s first Shake Shack will open its doors Feb. 23 in the First National Building at Campus Martius Park.
The New York-based franchise has been expanding their reach by building restaurants across the country.
The Detroit location will serve their standard variety of menu items, including burgers, chicken, hot dogs and fries.

Detroit’s Shake Shack launches on February 23 with Bon Bon Bon and Sister Pie Concretes https://t.co/o90dRI34Xl pic.twitter.com/yF6Bzy7ZtH

— Eater Detroit (@EaterDetroit) February 9, 2017

The restaurant’s burgers are “100 percent all-natural Angus beef,” according to Shake Shack’s website. For vegetarians, they offer the “’Shroom burger,” which is a whole roasted Portobello mushroom in place of meat.
Shake Shack also offers desserts. “Concretes” are a combination of frozen custard and various toppings, such as fudge sauce, sprinkles, toffee, peanuts and more.
Each Shake Shack location sells Concretes unique to the city. The Detroit location will offer four different kinds. These will be created in partnership with local bakeries Sister Pie and Zingerman’s, as well as chocolatiers Bon Bon Bon and Mast Brothers.


Shake Shack stated that 5 percent of the sales from the “Pie Oh My” custard will be donated to Gleaners Community Food Bank. Gleaners has been "feeding hungry people and nourishing our communities” for over 40 years, according to their website.
“One of the priorities that they had when they came to Detroit was to find a partner, and they reached out to us,” Gleaners Director of Marketing and Communications Stacy Kessel said. “Every conversation we have with them is really positive. They’re excited to make a difference in the community. They have the opportunity to make a big impact in the community and they seem excited to do that.”

Related Story: Shake Shack Detroit opens offering Detroit-only specials

In addition to Shake Shack’s classic food items, they will offer Michigan-brewed beer and wine.
“I think it brings some excitement to the city because Shake Shack is a nationally known fast food chain with a good reputation,” MLive Entertainment Reporter Edward Pevos said. “When you get a new destination like this, it brings new people and new excitement.”
Shake Shack will partner with local breweries to serve Michigan made beer, according to the Shake Shack website. Cheboygan Brewing, Griffin Claw Brewing and Short’s Brewery will all have brews available for purchase.
“They’ve got some drinks that other fast food places don’t normally have,” Pevos said. “They have beer and wine, that’s different right there. That’ll bring people in, and they might try a burger while they’re there.”
Artist Jesse Kassel was commissioned by Shake Shack to create a mural for the restaurant. The mural will be a bird’s eye view of Detroit, as well as nearby neighborhoods.
“The biggest thing I was trying to make sure to get across is that everybody throughout the whole city is welcome downtown,” Kassel said. “I think there’s kind of a stigma around downtown with everything that’s changing, developing, and growing. There’s a whole other part of the city that feels like it’s not necessarily for them to enjoy, so I think making sure that the whole city was represented… it’s just for everybody.”

Mural in the Motor City: Jesse Kassel decks out future home of ...

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