Shake Shack Considers Adding More Veggie and Vegan Options

Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti is planning on adding more vegan and vegetarian items to the menu, according to Eater. It's part of a bigger plan to pump up sagging sales and declining foot traffic at the once-hot-burger spot.

But wait, they've had a veggie burger since we were in high school!

The mushroom burger that has been on the Shake Shack menu burger since 2004, is not vegan since it is filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses. But select restaurants offer an actual vegan burger that is not on the menu, but you can find it on the app if you're lucky enough to go to one of those select spots. We found out about it at the UES location in New York City when we inquired what was vegan on the menu, and the kind server told us she had a vegan burger that was selling but "off the menu." Just hold the cheese.

This delicious bean and beet-based veggie burger has been sold for the past two years as a test at several locations. It features a patty made of black beans, brown rice, and roasted beets; along with pickles, onions, provolone cheese (hold this if you're vegan); the standard lettuce and tomato; and vegan mustard-mayo. But it never quite ignited the hearts of the vegan or plant-based diner—though because it was only available on the app, perhaps they didn't know about it.

Now it's Back to the Vegan Drawing Board for Veggie Offerings at Shake Shack

Eater reports that the culinary team tested the bean and beet burger in a few locations, but "it didn’t quite hit the mark." Now, Garutti reveals that they are testing another veggie burger at their West Village restaurant. The new soon-to-be-launched veggie burger features 13 vegetables, herbs, and grains, according to the report in Nation’s Restaurant News.

It's Part of a Bigger Plan at Shake Shack to Revise and Improve Its Menu

The Shack is not as packed as it once was. Garutti told investors during the company’s latest earnings report that the public chain plans to add new and more diverse menu items that will satisfy chicken lovers as well as veggie eaters, Nation’s Restaurant News reports. Garutti says the team will also re-introduce their popular hot chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets to the lineup. It will also add new milkshake flavors and offer shakes in a wider range of sizes, as well as other cold drinks on the menu.

We're rooting for the success of this brand and only want to encourage more vegan options on the menu.