Shake Shack Owner Danny Meyer Visits Chestnut Hill for Grand Opening Party [Video]

Though they opened their doors a week ago, last night the new Shake Shack celebrated its grand opening “housewarming party” at The Street in Chestnut Hill. 

Having closed their doors to the general public earlier in the day, the latest branch of the international chain hosted invited guests who dined on a multitude of menu items and enjoyed the music of local band Parks.

The festivities began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Setti Warren and Shake Shack owner and restaurateur Danny Meyer. Shake Shack employees then began circulating with treats from the menu including the Shack Burger (cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and Shake Sauce), the ‘Shroom Burger (their vegetarian offering – a fried, cheese-filled portabella mushroom with fixings), cheese fries and a variety of shakes (made from frozen custard) including Boston cream pie, vanilla and strawberry.

The guests were all in high spirits, but no one seemed happier to be there than Meyer. Even with the popularity of the entire Shake Shack chain, Meyer is still in awe of how successful the Chestnut Hill branch has been in its first week.

“The thing I want to say to them (the customers) is thank you!” Meyer says. “We have not had an opening like this. It has been non-stop, so we are very thankful.”

Looking for more Newton restaurant and business news? Make sure to follow Newton Patch on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for our email newsletters.

Meyer noted that many of the folks associated with the Shake Shack chain have ties to the Boston area. Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti’s in-laws live in the area and apparently are trying to get him to move back to Boston from New York. Meyer’s niece was in attendance at the event, and even members of Shake Shack’s training team who were just here to help with the opening commented on how welcomed they felt in the community.

In fact, it was just that welcoming spirit that brought Meyer to Chestnut Hill in the first place.

“We were having a tough time finding a place right in Boston,” Meyer shares. “Out of the blue, we heard from Jeremy (Sclar, President of WS Development). He said ‘Don’t worry about Boston- this is where you want to be.’ We could not be happier.”

When asked about what he thought accounted for the consistent long lines since opening, Meyer was characteristically modest.

“I’m not big on touting our burgers. I think burgers are in the mouth of the beholder,” he quipped. “We use the same thoughtfulness in terms of how we hire people, train people, in terms of how we source ingredients as we would in a fine dining restaurant. So we are thinking about food at the $4.95 a burger level as we would about the $36 for grass-fed beef at Gramercy Tavern (Meyer’s Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City).”

Download the movie