Who founded Shake Shack?

Danny Meyer founded Shake Shack.

Meyer is a New York City restaurateur and the founder of Union Square Hospitality Group. He opened his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, in 1985, and later developed the Shake Shack concept through that hospitality company. The chain’s identity grew from his interest in combining a polished restaurant experience with approachable burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, and shakes.

Shake Shack did not begin as a conventional national chain. Its first operation was a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in 2001, connected to the park’s redevelopment efforts. The cart became popular, leading to a permanent kiosk in the park in 2004. The menu then expanded beyond hot dogs to include hamburgers and the ShackBurger.

A common mix-up is confusing Meyer, the founder and chairman associated with the concept, with later executives who helped run and expand the company. Randy Garutti, for example, was an important operational leader, but he was not the founder. Shake Shack later became a publicly traded company, while Meyer remained central to its origin story.