Shake Shack is inviting the fast-food industry to learn how to cook.
In a campaign launched Thursday called “We Really Cook,” the fast-casual chain is attempting to draw attention to the in-restaurant food preparation that goes on in its units.
The campaign spotlights the recent Korean-style menu promotion, which features the K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich, which is made to order and topped with freshly chopped scallions, Choi’s Napa Cabbage Kimchi and a spicy-sweet gochujang glaze.
The ad even gives the recipe—for those willing to pause the frames to read it.
Shake Shack CEO Rob Lynch, in a full-page ad in The New York Times and a social media video, also invites everyone—even competitors—to a culinary training session at the chain’s new Atlanta Support Center. Classes begin March 12 (and the class can also be watched for free on March 17 on YouTube).
“No experience required,” the company said. “No secrets, no egos, just cooks helping cooks.”
The move appears to be a nod (or clap back) at fast-casual competitor Chipotle, which has long emphasized the cooking that goes on in restaurants and the resulting quality of its food, especially compared with fast-food chains that use pre-cooked and frozen proteins, fries and sauces designed for speed and consistency.
Chipotle on Jan. 25, for example, launched an ad campaign dubbed “Choices,” that contrasts its vegetables and chicken being cooked in its restaurants on the plancha and avocados being mashed by hand into guacamole, with frozen fast-food nuggets being dumped into a fry basket and pre-formed burger patties on an assembly line.
“In an environment where consumers are more discerning than ever about the ingredients in their food, ‘Choices’ visually communicates Chipotle’s value—in a fun and engaging way,” said Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s interim chief marketing officer, in a statement.
Both campaigns also tap into a growing push toward “real food,” or less-processed ingredients without preservatives and additives. That positioning has long defined the fast-casual segment, and some quick-service brands.
Quick-service chain In-N-Out Burger, for example, uses never-frozen ground chuck produced in the brand’s meat processing facilities, and burgers are cooked to order in restaurants. Fries are also cut from whole potatoes in units.
Michael Fanuele, Shake Shack’s chief brand officer, said the move isn’t a dig at any competitor, but is about “standing up for what we’ve believed in since day one—that fast food doesn’t have to mean thoughtless food.”
At Shake Shack, food is cooked to order, but not always from raw ingredients. Fanuele said the chain also works with trusted partners on certain components to ensure consistency, quality and food safety at scale.
“Real cooking has many moves,” he said.
Shake Shack, for example, in 2013 attempted a switch to house-made, hand-cut fries. But customers reportedly objected, so the chain switched back to a frozen crinkle-cut fry.
Made-to-order cooking can also be a challenge when it comes to drive thru speed.
Lynch is also working on reducing Shake Shack’s speed of service in the drive thru. The chain has made operational improvements in kitchen layout and equipment, as well as prep workflows and digital ordering, to help teams move faster without cutting corners, Fanuele said.
“The goal is to remove friction and help our guests win at eating each and every meal,” he said. “In fact, as we’ve become faster, we’ve seen our guests become happier and more satisfied.”
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