Abstract

The case “The Anti-Chain Strategy of Shake Shack” talks about the unique business strategy of Shake Shack in the highly competitive fast food industry. The case starts out by tracing the evolution of Shake Shack from a hot dog cart to an international restaurant chain that follows a cautious expansion strategy. The company’s strategy of having the locations of its outlets in iconic places and its efforts to project them as a gathering place for the local community is mentioned. Shake’s Shack’s particular emphasis on using high quality ingredients sourced through sustainable practices, apart from its stress on providing “enlightened hospitality” to its customers is described in detail. The case also states the challenges of operating in a highly competitive fast food industry. It ends with details about the future expansion plans of Shake Shack.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• To understand the importance of brand positioning
• To recognize the need to prevent brand dilution
• To decipher the strategy of niche market players in a competitive industry
• To identify the role played by quality and hospitality in a service industry

Keywords

Shake Shack, Fast Food, Fast Casual, Expansion Strategy, Brand Managment, Brand Dilution, Community, Hospitality, Franchising, Localization, Regionalize, Incentives, Anti-chain, Brand Identity, Quality Consciousness