Fast food chain Shake Shack celebrated its long-anticipated Sunnyside grand opening Wednesday morning, more than a year after it first announced that it would be opening in the neighborhood.
The restaurant has opened at 46-20 Queens Blvd. at the site of the now-shuttered Mangal Kebab and officially opened its doors to Sunnyside at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Shake Shack, known for its burgers, crinkle-cut fries and shakes, confirmed in March 2024 that it would be opening at the site, situated at the corner of 47th Street and Queens Boulevard.
A spokesperson for the company told QNS last year that Shake Shack expected to open by the end of 2024, while Shake Shack regional marketing manager Joe Kaufman said at Wednesday’s grand opening that the company had hoped to open the location by April 2025.
“These things happen,” Kaufman said of the delayed opening. “But we’re thrilled to finally be opening the doors.”
As part of the grand opening celebrations, Shake Shack provided the first 500 guests with $5 off their next visit to the restaurant, while the company is donating $1 to Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) for every sandwich sold on Sept. 24.
Kaufman said the donation is an “opening day tradition” for Shake Shack and said the company had chosen SCS after hearing “how wonderful” the organization has been for the local community.
Despite being dubbed the “anti-chain chain” due to its local community engagement, some Sunnyside residents expressed concern about the new location due to fears of “gentrification.” The restaurant is the latest chain to open its doors on Queens Boulevard, following in the footsteps of chains such as Chipotle and Wingstop.
Some locals have expressed concerns that the recent trend will have an impact on independent restaurant that line Queens Boulevard and adjacent streets.
Kaufman, however, said Shake Shack strives to be different from other chains through its community engagement and the quality of ingredients that it uses.
“We’re constantly partnering with communities and really getting out there,” he said. “We certainly try to add more to the community than perhaps your next chain and we’re really proud of what we have been able to accomplish when we open (in a neighborhood).”
He said Shake Shack is on board as a sponsor for the upcoming Taste of Sunnyside restaurant crawl, organized by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID). In an effort to keep the spotlight on local independent businesses, Shake Shack will not be participating in the crawl itself.
“We want everyone to focus on them,” Kaufman said. “But if we can help make it happen and put some money into it to make it happen, we’re proud to do it.”
Dirk McCall de Palomá, executive director of Sunnyside Shines, said the BID is excited to welcome the restaurant to Sunnyside and said the new location would help boost foot traffic along Queens Boulevard. Rather than taking away from existing independent businesses, McCall de Palomá believes Shake Shack will have a positive impact on the local economy.
“They will really help increase our night foot traffic, which will have a positive economic impact for our commercial corridors,” McCall de Palomá said in a statement.
Shake Shack will open from 10:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. seven days a week and can seat 72 people at a time. It will employ a staff of 37 workers, Shake Shack confirmed.
The Sunnyside restaurant is Shake Shack’s eighth Queens location, following a recent opening in Jackson Heights. Shake Shack also operates locations in Queens Center Mall, Forest Hills and Jamaica as well as two locations at JFK International Airport and one location at Citi Field.
