New York burger chain Shake Shack has “big plans for Asia,” said the CEO, as the company embarks on regional expansion.
South China and Macao will be first in line for new outlets – with locations in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Macao’s casino resort The Londoner The doors will open in the coming months, Randy Garutti told CNBC on Thursday.
Singapore and Beijing are also preparing for new openings, according to the company’s website.
Our business has been incredibly resilient in Asia.
Randy Garutti
CEO, Shake Shack
The CEO said the rollout responds to strong demand over the past year and will strengthen Asia as “one of the key positions” in the company.
“Our business is incredibly resilient in Asia,” Garutti told “Street Signs”.
“We opened in Shanghai. We opened in Beijing last year during the pandemic in August. We now have our sights set on Macao and the south, starting in Shenzhen.”
In total, the business plans to open 35 to 40 new locations worldwide by fiscal 2021. In 2022, it will add an additional 45 to 50 openings. Garutti did not say how many of those would be in Asia.
An order of a fast food meal (hamburger, fries and soft drink) at a Shake Shack restaurant in Sanitun on August 13, 2020 in Beijing, China.
VCG | Visual China Group | Getty images
Shake Shack already has at least 48 locations in Asia, including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
Garutti said the brand will continue to partner with Hong Kong-based Maxim’s Caterers to facilitate rollout in Greater China.
He insisted that customers would still enjoy the classic flavor of Shake Shack, although he added that some new locations would also feature specialty shakes, for example in Shenzhen and Macao, as well as localized artwork.
“People want us to be Shake Shack from New York,” Garutti said. ‘They don’t want us to change the menu. But we’re finding ways to have those little cameos. ‘