Shake Shack
Delivering innovation straight to Shake Shack’s front door
Client: Shake Shack
My Role: Product Strategy | Agile Project Management | Program Management | Product Roadmapping | Client Engagement | Account Strategy | Brand Refresh | App Redesign | App Development | Release Management | Resourcing | Budget Development and Management | Analytics + Reporting | Loyalty + Retention Model
Timeline: 5 Years
Scope: iOS and Android Mobile Apps, In-Store Kiosk, Pop-Up Enablement, Kiosk Admin App
The Challenge
Shake Shack had a rare but enviable problem: people were willing to wait in line for hours to order its iconic burgers. But in a shifting marketplace and a fast-moving QSR industry, the leadership team recognized that long lines were also a barrier to revenue growth and customer satisfaction. They needed to innovate—not just for convenience, but for scale.
I partnered with Shake Shack’s leadership team over five years to develop a suite of digital tools that would modernize their guest experience, drive revenue, and create entirely new ordering channels.
Our work began with a simple idea: what if customers could skip the line entirely?
The Mobile Apps
We launched a bespoke mobile ordering app for iOS and Android as a proof of concept. Within weeks, we had our answer: demand was high, usage was strong, and the app was a clear hit with customers and investors alike.
Impact Highlights:
Significant increase in total foot traffic
Streamlined operations during peak hours
Elevated brand perception as a tech-forward QSR
When Google introduced Material Design, we saw an opportunity to unify and elevate the experience. We pitched and led a full redesign of the iOS app to align with this new standard—creating a seamless, consistent, and intuitive interface. That design, launched in 2016, remains in use today.
The Kiosks
By year three, we hit a crossroads. Mobile app orders were no longer driving incremental traffic, and average order value (AOV) was leveling off. The leadership team considered sunsetting the app to refocus on in-store engagement.
In a pivotal strategy session with the C-Suite, I posed a simple question: Is the goal foot traffic, or is it revenue?
That led to a new hypothesis: Could we bring the mobile experience into the store?
We proposed and developed a predictive ordering kiosk designed to:
Replicate the “skip-the-line” magic of the app
Use smart upsell logic to increase AOV
Remove social friction by minimizing human interaction
We launched our first kiosk in Shake Shack’s Union Square location. The results were immediate:
30-Day Pilot Outcomes:
Kiosk AOV was 25% higher than both mobile and register orders
Customers reported higher satisfaction with wait times and experience
Operational flow improved during peak hours
The Pop-Ups
The kiosk system has since been rolled out to every Shake Shack in the U.S. The original interface and experience—designed in 2018—remains live today, a testament to its staying power and success.
To further expand reach, we developed a lightweight version of the kiosk that bypassed the KDS system. This enabled Shake Shack’s first-ever music festival pop-up at Coachella, opening a completely new revenue stream.
The Results
National kiosk rollout across all Shake Shack locations
25% increase in AOV via kiosk
Decreased wait times and increased throughput
New, scalable revenue channels with relatively low CapEx
Long-term retention of app and kiosk UX/UI still in use today
The Conclusion
This work fundamentally transformed Shake Shack’s approach to digital innovation. What began as a simple mobile ordering app became a platform for operational efficiency, new revenue streams, and a reimagined guest experience—without compromising on brand, quality, or service
