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East Coast fast food chain Shake Shack is preparing to sling burgers in the heart of downtown Portland.
The company, which launched in New York in 2004, is one step closer to opening its first Oregon location, the Daily Journal of Commerce first reported.
According to a proposal filed with the City of Portland's Bureau of Development Services, Shake Shack is looking to move into a former vitamin store on West Burnside Street and Southwest 10th Avenue, on the same block as Living Room Theatres and across from Powell's Books.
Zac Horton of Faster Permits, a consulting firm handling the permitting process for the company, tells WW he cannot disclose any more details on the potential opening right now. The city has completed its initial review of the proposed project and is now taking public comments on the changes, which are primarily aesthetic upgrades.
The remodel on the nearly 5,000-square-foot building and parking lot would include a glazed brick and metal panel facade as well as new entrances and windows. Plans also call for the removal of some parking spots to make room for an 860-square-foot covered patio and a 2,500-square-foot outdoor area with table and terraced seating.
Oh, and they're also throwing in a ping-pong table so you can have something to do while waiting for your ShackBurger.
In 2018, In-N-Out set off a frenzy when it announced it was bringing a franchise to the Salem area, just 45 minutes south of Portland. When the Keizer restaurant opened for business Dec. 12, lines wrapped around the parking lot and created backups at the nearby freeway exit.
If you want to put Shake Shack's burgers to the test before they arrive in Portland, you'll have to road trip north to Seattle—though that's not exactly advisable right now. The closest property to us is in the South Lake Union neighborhood, and even features a Washington-exclusive burger called the "Montlake Double Cut" featuring Oregon Country Beef and Beecher's handmade cheese.