Shake Shack plans to open their first Canadian branch in Toronto

Burger chain Shake Shack has finally announced plans to expand in Canada next year, with their first location being in Toronto.

Private investment firms in Toronto, Osmington Inc. and Harlo Entertainment Inc., made the announcement Wednesday to bring the American restaurant to Canada

The company said they’re set to open in 2024 with plans for 35 locations across Canada by 2035.

Shake Shack started off in New York in 2001 as a hotdog stand in Madison Square Park and now has over 400 locations around the world.

The organization’s chief global licensing officer, Michael Kark, says the chain has been eyeing Canada for quite some time.

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In recent years, fast food chains Chick-Fil-A and Dave’s Hot Chicken made an appearance in the Canadian market and presented great success.

According to a data released in 2020 by NPD Group, 7.3 per cent of all restaurant orders consisted of chicken sandwiches, which totaled 386.4 million servings.

On the other hand, 9.6 per cent of all Canadian restaurant orders were burgers, which amounts to 739.3 million servings, meaning that Shake Shack’s bestseller would bode well in Canada.

Moreover, Statistics Canada’s recent data shows the cost of food purchased from takeout restaurants raised by 8.6 per cent since February 2022.

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