The familiar red and yellow scheme of the Airport Square Wendy’s Restaurant is currently being replaced by the bright green and white neon of Shake Shack, a demolition and reconstruction project courtesy of Boston-based shopping center owner Gateway DC Properties aka Wilder Companies LTD.
Instead of Frostys and Dave’s Doubles, hungry cheeseburger, portobello mushroom burger, chicken sandwich, and crinkle-cut fries lovers will indulge in hand-spun Tiramisu or Dreamsicle shakes and frozen custard, among other classic American fare, either at home via the online-order-pickup-only drive-through, inside the 85-seat, 3,304-square-foot interior, or outside on the 40-seat, 985-square-foot fenced-in retaining-walled patio.
That’s right – you will not be able to order via a menu at the drive-through, like traditional fast-food restaurants.
“The Shake Shack restaurant chain has historically not utilized drive-through lanes for their restaurant operations, but is reportedly considering drive-through lanes for newly constructed restaurants after the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote the Montgomery County Planning Commission in an Oct. 6, 2021, review letter to Montgomery Township Director of Planning/Zoning Bruce Shoupe.
Shake Shack, according to its website, began as a hot dog cart in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park in the early 2000s, even aiding the park Conservancy’s art installation. Shake Shack claims the cart had customers lined up daily for three summers, which led to a permanent location in the park in 2004.
Now, 19 years later, there are 320 “modern day roadside burger stands” across 30 states and Washington, D.C. Shake Shack has even expanded to 107 international locations, including London, Philippines, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul and Istanbul.
Locally, there are two Shake Shacks: Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia, both of which offer dine-in, takeout and delivery.
The project, primarily overseen by Montgomery Township Director of Planning/Zoning Bruce Shoupe, Kelli Burke of Gateway DC Properties, and township engineer Judith Stern Goldstein of Gilmore & Associates Inc., has a $1 million estimated construction value, according to Construction Journal, and a contractor was awarded the project in June 2022.
Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the preliminary/final land development plan on Jan. 24, 2022. The approval included language that the applicant will agree to install the sidewalk to connect to the Bonefish Grill, curb, handicap ramps and pedestrian crossings. The Board had previously tabled the vote for approval at the request of Shake Shack in November 2021.
See all documents related to the project here.
Shake Shack paid about $9,000 in fees to Montgomery Township in lieu of dedicating parkland for parks and recreation purposes, as stated in the township subdivision and land development ordinance, according to project documents.
According to the November 18, 2021, Montgomery Township Planning Commission meeting minutes, there is more than ample parking proposed for the site and exceeded the code requirement. There will be two ADA parking spaces.
“There is no direct access from Bethlehem Pike to this pad site. No menu/presell boards for the traditional drive-through are proposed as it is an online order and pickup only system. A bypass/escape lane is available to those who enter the drive-through not knowing an order must be previously placed,” stated the meeting minutes.
As far as traffic impact, the minutes stated that the increase in size (from 3,045 square feet to 3,304 square feet) “is negligible and any increase in anticipated traffic on the surrounding road network would also be negligible.”
According to township engineer Gilmore & Associates Inc., the use of restaurant with drive-thru is permitted by right, and the special exception needed for the outdoor patio seating was granted by township supervisors on July 29, 2021. The drive-through will stack eight vehicles, per the land development application.
“It should be noted that if vehicles are stacked in excess of eight vehicles, the line of vehicles will extend into the parking lot drive aisle. Vehicles stacked in the drive aisle may impede vehicle circulation within the parking area,” said the Jan. 24, 2022, meeting minutes.
Shake Shack’s menu promotes “custom 100% Angus beef blend, never frozen, no hormones or antibiotics ever, humanely raised and grazed in the USA.”
Some highlights of the menu include the 500-calorie ShackBurger (beef cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun) for $6.69; the 570-calorie SmokeShack (Applewood-smoked bacon, chopped cherry peppers, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun) for $8.39; the 610-calorie avocado bacon burger for $9.59; and the 510-calorie ‘Shroom Burger for vegetarian cuisine (crisp fried portobello filled with melted muenster cheese) for $8.59. Go crazy and get a cheeseburger with a ‘Shroom Burger on top of it for $11.79.
It also offers $5 grilled cheese, chicken bites, chicken sandwiches ($8.09), avocado bacon chicken sandwiches ($10.19), and crinkle cut fries under $4, which one can order with bacon and cheese, or cheese.
The items that give the restaurant its name – like the 820-calorie vanilla and blood orange frozen custard, whipped cream, and crushed orange candies delight known as the Dreamsicle Shake – cost $6.49, per the menu. Shake Shack also offers lemonades under $4 (blood orange lemonade, sunset lemonade, and pomegranate sweet basil lemonade to name a few), organic tea, $3 fountain sodas, draft root beer made with Louisiana cane sugar, water, and sparking water.
There are even doggie biscuits and “Pooch-inis,” biscuits and vanilla custard in a small cup, for the canine customers.
An opening date for the Montgomeryville location has not yet been announced. Find out more about Shake Shack here.
See also:
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