A New Food ‘Haven!’

Posted on Sep 13, 2012 by Christine Burroni

A Shake Shack has officially opened it's doors on 986 Chapel St.

Burger lovers rejoice! A Shake Shack has made it’s way to New Haven.

The city’s anticipated addition is expected to be constantly crowded from when they open their doors at 11a.m. to when they close them at 11p.m. And you can’t miss this 19-foot glass store front, it stands out from the rest of the Chapel Street buildings.

David Swinghamer, Chief Development Officer of Shake Shack is very excited to start serving a new city.

“We looked at it as where is the best spot for us where can we feel like we’re part of the community,” he said. “We love New Haven.”

The menu consists of your typical burgers, hot dogs, milkshakes, fries, as well as unique items that pertain to New Haven and the Yale community. Vegetarians will even enjoy a ‘Shroom Burger, while meat eaters will enjoy a Smoke Shack Burger topped with bacon, and ranch sauce. And all sweet tooths will be satisfied with frozen custards and toppings.

When speaking specifically about Quinnipiac, Swinghamer mentioned that it is a great location for Bobcats, being that the New Haven shuttle stop is a short walk away.

“When I found out the bus stops right here I thought ‘perfect’ because we want to be here for the whole community,” he said. “It’s a great University and there are a lot of students, but there are no places to go,” he said referring to Quinnipiac.

To make this new location fit in even more, reclaimed wood from the old Yale Bowl was used in the construction.  It also offers the first ever Shake Shack fireplace, making it an even cozier hangout.

Swinghamer takes into consideration the lifestyles of the students in the surrounding area as well as QU in hopes that New Haven Shake Shack will become a student spot.

“Everybody likes to hang out, but the way that time is spent when you’re a student in college, you absolutely need some down time. Then we want to make sure that when you have some work or want to stay in touch, you can come here for that too,” he said.

Sports Associate Editor Kerry Healy also contributed to this report.