Shake Shack gets permit to open restaurant in Henrietta. What we know
When plans were announced in July 2021 to bring Shake Shack locations to several New York state Thruway rest stops, and the first opened last fall at the Junius Ponds service area, people expressed excitement.
But they also said they’d prefer it if the popular New York City-based burger and shake chain opened restaurants in upstate communities.
Now that it is happening. On Feb. 8, the town of Henrietta issued a special use permit for Shake Shack to operate at 245 Clay Road at the corner of Jefferson Road, the site of a vacant Denny’s.
Depending on the construction timeline, and any other plans Shake Shack might have in the pipeline, it could be the first non-Thruway location in New York state outside the New York City area.
In its application, Shake Shack detailed plans to demolish the Denny’s building and put up a 3,500-square-foot restaurant with sit-down, takeout and drive-thru service and outdoor seating. Proposed hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The application did not seek approval to serve alcohol, although some Shake Shack locations serve beer and wine.
A rendering submitted with the application indicates that customers would enter and exit via Clay Road rather than Jefferson.
The project still needs final site-plan approval and could get it at the Tuesday, March 21, meeting of the Henrietta Planning Board, said Chris Martin, the town's director of engineering and planning.
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The drive-thru is a newer format for Shake Shack, the result of significant sales slumps at its core urban restaurants during coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, restaurantdive.com reported.
The chain opened its first drive-thru in December 2021 in Maplegrove, Minnesota. It now has 11 — nine of which launched in the fourth quarter of 2022 — and it plans to open 10 to 15 more this year.
Drive-thrus are more expensive to build, but they have been bringing in more money for Shake Shack.
It isn't clear from the application when Shake Shack hopes to start construction in Henrietta, although town Supervisor Stephen Schultz said he is under the impression the company would like to break ground in the spring.
Last August, restaurantdive.com quoted Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti as saying the restaurants typically open within 15 to 18 months, although drive-thrus tend to take longer.
The Henrietta site is just a third of a mile from where a BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse is under construction, the Huntington Beach, California-based chain’s first in western New York.
Shake Shack began in 2001 as a hot dog cart near New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Three years later it evolved into a burger kiosk and, having developed cult-like following, has grown to 436 locations worldwide.
The chain is best known for its burgers, but the menu also includes chicken sandwiches and bites, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries, milkshakes, lemonade and iced tea.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Shake Shack gets permit to open restaurant in Henrietta NY
