Shake Shack: Danny Meyer Back in 2001, as part of an initiative to revitalize Madison Square Park, Danny Meyer set up a simple hot dog cart. At that time, he had been a leader in New York City's fine dining scene for years, and the hot dog cart was just a side project, something fun to do for the summer. But that one temporary hot dog cart led to Shake Shack, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its burgers, its namesake milkshakes, and its lines out the door. Today, Shake Shack is a publicly traded company with over 250 locations in 15 countries.

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Shake Shack: Danny Meyer

June 15, 202012:01 AM ET

Shake Shack: Danny Meyer

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Danny Meyer is the founder of Shake Shack.

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Back in 2001, as part of an initiative to revitalize Madison Square Park, Danny Meyer set up a simple hot dog cart.

At that time, he had been a leader in New York City's fine dining scene for years, and the hot dog cart was just a side project, something fun to do for the summer.

But that one temporary hot dog cart led to Shake Shack, a fast casual restaurant chain known for its burgers, its namesake milkshakes, and its lines out the door.

Today, Shake Shack is a publicly traded company with over 250 locations in 15 countries.

Special Series

How I Built This

For all new episodes, go to the How I Built This page on Wondery.com