The Shake Shack is looking close to opening at 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star. (Haven't heard an exact date just yet.)
Meanwhile, across Third Avenue, here's a look at the former McDonald's ...
This McDonald's location closed on June 1 after deciding not to renew the lease after 20 years here near St. Mark's Place.
Previously on EV Grieve:
The Shake Shack effect? McDonald's on 3rd Avenue at St. Mark's Place has closed after 20 years
Coincidence purely. On no planet in this galaxy is Shake Shack and McDonalds seen as competitors.
ReplyDeleteI like Shake Shack ok, will eat it once in a while, but fuck Shake Shack. They started out great, then they expanded like crazy and now the food is rather sloppy and half-assed. Fast food craftsmanship, only with long waits and big prices. That's why they will never, ever measure up to In-N-Out Burger--a place where employees take pride in the food they serve. You cannot imitate that.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, there is no comparison to Shake Shack anywhere on the planet. Where else can you enjoy Shake Shack’s Shacktoberfest? It's back on tap from September 22 – October 1. The annual celebration is the only time of year to get a special Shake Shack Bier Stein for $10.50 (25 oz.) filled with genuine German beer made in Brooklyn. What could be more German than beer made in Brooklyn? Even the guy with the Nazi flags in his windows will be stampeding to get in line for this one. And where else (besides The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, that is) can you get a gay themed milkshake? Even McDonalds Shamrock shakes are boring and straight compared to Shake Shack's Will & Grace Shake ($5.99): Cinnamon marshmallow frozen custard blended with Shack fudge and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. These shakes might not actually make you gay, but you'll sure be glad you had one, and standing in line is great for your waistline. Who needs a Happy Meal when you can drink real German/Brooklyn beer AND a gay themed milkshake named after a TV sitcom? Thanks to Shake Shack, the East Village will finally be able to enjoy authentic ethnic foods and cultural events rather than all the fake ones we have been force fed for so many decades. 😊
ReplyDeleteI thought both eastern corners of St Marks and 3rd Ave were bought by developers a year or two ago. Maybe it was just up to the Continental and not including Macdonald's. Could it be a case of the lease not being renewed in order to sell the land at a higher price?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 1:56--Good memory! Just pulled up the EV Grieve on that very topic from 24 June 2015 . . .
ReplyDeleteHad family and friends visit NYC from Las Vegas a few years back. Took them to Shake Shack in UWS and Madison. They loved it, even though they waited on line for long time in both locations. When they were flying back to LV, it also happened that a Shake Shack just opened at T4 at JFK. Packed of course, but they tried it still - they said it was good, but not as good as the ones in Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteA year later Shake Shack opened in their hometown in LV, they didn't want to wait on line that time since they lived in LV and can always go whenever they want, so they waited for the excitement to die down. So when they finally went, hardly was anyone there. They were disappointed and said the burgers were different -- not as good as the ones in NYC.
I guess point being, esp. in NYC -- having the Flatiron Empire State Buildings, or the American Museum of Natural History, and now the coolness and hipness of the EV in the backdrop while having that Shackburger and E, is that the experience, not the food or product is what makes Shake Shack "exceptional".
And esp of waiting hours on line with the tourists and transients, esp. the young and beautiful ones, and finally getting called or having that buzzer buzzed that makes one feel special. The people actually like the gratification of waiting on long lines for such products. Their identity is tied up with being a consumer of such items who derive satisfaction from waiting hours, to signify their adherence to that cool, hyped, item (same with Apple products). Just a theory.
I actually don't mind or would rather and prefer a quarter pounder or a simple hamburger with ketchup and two pickles than to wait long for a burger at Shake Shack. Plus, more bang for one's buck with the McPick 2. I just don't have that extra time or money to spend at Shake Shack, and even if I did, there are far more interesting things (films, theater, opera, ballet, concerts, even the local sports teams (which all suck...)) to spend them with , esp, in NYC. Not that anyone cares.
In June 2015, The Real Deal reported that real-estate investor Arthur Shapolsky was in contract to buy the corner assemblage — 23 Third Ave., 27 Third Ave. and 3 St. Mark's Place — for roughly $50 million. The site could reportedly accommodate a 41,500-square-foot commercial building or a residential one of roughly half the size.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Joseph Gabay, whose family owns the properties, told me in June that they have not been sold despite the continued rumors.
"McDonald’s has chosen not to renew their lease after a 20-year run," he said via email. "With the addition of 51 Astor, the dynamic of the square has changed."
As of right now, the McDonald's space is for rent ... as is the Continental space next door... the spaces can be combined or leased separately ....
@6:57 is spot on. A case of contrived popularity.
ReplyDeleteWe've been at Shack Shacks in several other U.S. cities. Never crowded.
Thanks EV Grieve for the clarification re: sale of the corner lots. It means, at the least, a reprieve from more construction nightmares for a while!
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a Gabay's store on 1st Ave for many, many years? I think that was the spelling...is this the same family?
ReplyDeleteAt 10:08, Anonymous said:
ReplyDeleteThat's why they will never, ever measure up to In-N-Out Burger--a place where employees take pride in the food they serve. You cannot imitate that.
In-N-Out is a Christian chain—which explains the Bible verses on its cups. It also explains why everyone there is so happy and friendly.