We regularly report – in our Saturday Fast Food Week feature – on the latest antics from the wild an crazy guys and gals at The Shake Shack. One of their most recent news releases trumpeted the open-ing of three new Canadians locations. But not in my town…
A current-design Shake Shack ‘store’ in Austin, Texas… Their Resto of the Future…
I was unaccountably saddened – even depressed – to learn that all three new Canadian Shake Shacks will be in the Greater Toronto Area, but not within the city core. One is in Oakville, just west of Missis-sauga, which is just west of the City of Toronto, proper. Another is in Burlington, which is just west of Oakville, and technically within the Greater Hamilton Area. A third new location will open in London, Ontario, abut 2 hours west of Toronto, next year. Oh, and there’s one way out west in Calgary, at the Chinook Centre. Confused, yet?
The Shack débuted in Canada in 2014, with a flagship location at the historically happenin’ corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets.
A Horatio Alger story…
The Shake Shack story is one of hard work paying off, and success coming in buckets after a pivotal event. “The fast-food chain began as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park in 2001 before opening its first permanent location there in 2004,” a Toronto SUN story relates. “There are now more than 500 locations worldwide.”
My take
So… Why has it taken them so long to make the relatively short trip north from NYC to Canada’s most-heavily populated region? They have multiple locations in both Shanghai, China and Taipei, Taiwan. In London and Las Vegas. In Hiroshima and Istanbul. But not in Ottawa.
Why, I ask, in strained, plaintive tones? We’re the Capital of the country. Hundreds – perhaps thous-ands – of diplomats from more than 100 countries who maintain embassies here will wonder why they can’t Shake Shack treats just down the street, like they can at home?
Everybody else who’s ‘international’ is here. Why not Shake Shack? We may never know…
But I’m officially starting a campaign to bring the Shack to the Capital. And I’ll keep you posted on how we’re doing with that…
~ Maggie J.