Shake Shack

[Rail Paul]

 

I wouldn't eat that if they gave me one for free.

 

$8.95, I'm afraid.

 

More expensive than a regular Shake Shack double.

 

 

 

I was wondering if this is a real product, or just a publicity stunt. I'm leaning to the latter.

 

--one store only

--one day only with a limited supply

--anything Shake Shack is guaranteed media coverage

--maybe a way to engage Dan Barber and his high end sustainability initiatives

 

--or maybe Danny Meyer decided to have some fun

[Steve R.]

I have it on good authority that next week's special is a bun made from a magazine picture of a bun with a "burger" made from shredded pictures of burgers. You can guess what the fixin's are made of. Called the "virtual burger". $10, no cash/credit cards accepted, only Apple debit cards or bit coins. Only sold at their new location (you guessed it - it's a pop up made out of cardboard pictures of other Shake Shacks).

[cstuart]

 

 

I wouldn't eat that if they gave me one for free.

 

$8.95, I'm afraid.

 

More expensive than a regular Shake Shack double.

 

 

 

I was wondering if this is a real product, or just a publicity stunt. I'm leaning to the latter.

 

--one store only

--one day only with a limited supply

--anything Shake Shack is guaranteed media coverage

--maybe a way to engage Dan Barber and his high end sustainability initiatives

 

--or maybe Danny Meyer decided to have some fun

 

Kind of funny that it's harder to produce the scrap burger than the real thing.

[Wilfrid]

One wonders what message Barber is trying to get across by highlighting that a burger produced from waste is more expensive than a burger produced from LaFrieda beef? (Of course, it may be cheaper and people are just paying for his name.)

[Neocon maudit]

Right. Everything about it suggests this is a form of virtue-signalling for the bien-pensant middle classes, not anything like an efficient use of food waste.

[cstuart]

At least with Patterson's frankenburger one of the main goals is for it to be cheap.

 

One would think that Barber would be better off finding a way to use scraps to feed his animals or grow his plants more cheaply.

[oakapple]

Right. Everything about it suggests this is a form of virtue-signalling for the bien-pensant middle classes, not anything like an efficient use of food waste.

His pop-up at Blue Hill was similar: clearly not a value proposition on its own terms.

 

Even taken on its most generous terms, I'd say he's trying to draw attention to the idea that food waste can be put to good use, and he's doing so in a deliberately inefficient manner. I think he must realize that a garbage burger that costs more than a real one is not a long-term proposition.

[Lex]

Right. Everything about it suggests this is a form of virtue-signalling for the bien-pensant middle classes, not anything like an efficient use of food waste.

 

You know what St. Dan Barber could do to impress me?

 

Open up a restaurant serving local/sustainable foods where dinner for two would clock in at about $150. If he can't do that, than what he's suggesting is impractical. To paraphrase James Carville's campaign slogan for Bill Clinton, "It's the economics, stupid!"

[Wilfrid]

Shake Shack has done very well with garbage burgers.

 

...

 

Oh, I see what you mean.

[Orik]

I was thinking of having everyone over for a bbq, but the cost of grilled fish turds and moldy peaches a la plancha seems prohibitive. (also, the moldy peaches tend to be kind of whiny when heated)

[splinky]

I paid more for garbage when I was poor, not gonna do it voluntarily, now

[Sneakeater]

I'm sorry. Is it just me, or does anybody else find the idea of this disgusting?

[Suzanne F]

The down-market version of Veal Oscar?

[taion]

Eww.

[joethefoodie]

First line in the fawning eater piece...

 

Shake Shack can't stop innovating.

 

 

But really, they should.