What to Know
- Sunday, April 18 (opens at 11 a.m.)
- A burger will be donated to Westside Food Bank for every burger sold on opening day
- The first 100 people to order (in person, through the site or through the app) will receive a 16-ounce glass featuring the Pacific Wheel
Opening days tend to be auspicious, celebratory, full of pomp, or at least a bit of pomp, and brimming with a cheerful vision of tomorrow.
And the truth of it? It almost matters not what is opening.
But here is a hearty nugget of truth served up on a delicious bun of goodwill: If burgers are involved in an opening day event, you'll want to share that burger-based love with others in a meaningful and memorable way.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
And so Shake Shack will be doing just that when they open their newest store in Santa Monica.
The bastion of burgers, fries, and thick shakes, which began on a New York City street cart two decades ago, will debut at 501 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica on Sunday, April 18, with a good-hearted plan: Donate a burger for every burger bought on opening day.
The beneficiary?
It's Westside Food Bank, so know that if you stop by to purchase a burger, or four or five, that same number of burgers will be presented to the community-helping non-profit, which works to provide "... access to free, nutritious food through 55 member agencies."
And the opening auspiciousness shall continue: If you're one of the first 100 people to order, either at the restaurant, on the site, or through the app, you'll snag a complimentary 16-ounce glass featuring the Pacific Wheel, Santa Monica's celebrated solar-powered Ferris wheel.
It's custom-branded, too, so you'll remember that you were there, at the newest Shake Shack, on the day it opened.
Adding lovely local flair? Both a garden room and outdoor patio, both of which lend the restaurant some of that quintessential Santa Monica sunshine and airiness, and a large-scale mural by artist Steph Hendrix.
"After years of searching, we are thrilled to finally bring Shake Shack to Santa Monica," said Andrew McCaughan, Chief Development Officer of Shake Shack.
"I'm incredibly proud of our team for everything that went into this Shack; our commitment to sustainability via onsite renewables, a beautiful building by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture featuring our garden room, impactful local art by Steph Hendrix, and of course our Shack Track pick up window experience, making it easier for the people of Santa Monica to get their Shack."
"Pumped to share the Shake Shack Santa Monica experience with the community."
Whether you're in the starting-out swirl, and can help buy-a-burger-donate-a-burger on opening day, or you visit down the road, know this: This Shake Shack is only eight blocks from the beach, so remember to snag one of those famous shakes for your easy stroll toward the sunset.
