Shake Shack opening new Irvine location, will donate share of proceeds to Second Harvest
'Shake Shack inherently understands the importance of feeding people, and we're so grateful for their continued support of our mission to provide dignified, equitable and consistent access to nutritious food to those in Orange County,' stated Claudia Bonilla Keller, chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, in a news release.
The new shack will be the 53rd location for the brand in Southern California and the second in the city of Irvine.
Shake Shack was started by restaurant industry giant Danny Meyer as a hot dog cart in 2001 in Madison Square Park in New York as a means of raising money for a public art project. Its success led to an expanded menu at a more permanent kiosk that opened to incredibly long lines of fans in 2004. Since then, the burger brand has grown into a global chain with the first Southern California location opening in West Hollywood in 2016 and its first Orange County location opening at the Irvine Spectrum in 2023.
Orange County is now home multiple locations besides the two in Irvine, including stores in Huntington Beach, Brea and Costa Mesa, where an A-frame building that formerly housed an IHOP was razed to make way for the new tenant. The company is unrelated to the Crystal Cove Shake Shack, a popular O.C. diner on the Newport Coast famous for its date shakes.
The elevated fast-casual eatery is known for gourmet burgers and hand-spun milkshakes made with real custard. Over the years, the Shack Shack menu has grown to include vegetarian options like the 'Veggie Shack' made with a veggie burger patty consisting of mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, farro and quinoa and limited time special offerings like the 'Carolina BBQ Burger' served with fried pickles topped with pepper jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon and Carolina-style BBQ sauce.
In the spirit of the philanthropic foundation Shake Shack began on, the Tustin Marketplace location has pledged to donate $1 for each sandwich sold on opening day to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
Second Harvest is a nonprofit organization that works toward providing food and nutritional security for everyone in Orange County. The organization operates a large food bank, the Second Harvest Food Bank's Founders Farm, and distributes food through a network of partner agencies and programs.
'In this time of heightened need, partners like Shake Shack who are giving back to their communities are critical to Second Harvest and those we serve,' said Bonilla Keller. 'It's only through community supporters like Shake Shack that we're able to feed over 450,000 individuals each month, including children, working families and seniors.'
Shake Shack at Tustin Marketplace is located at at 13656 Jamboree Road in Irvine. The grand opening is set for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7. Following the opening, Shake Shack will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
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