This week I was at a meeting in Orlando trying to figure out dinner plans. We needed something relatively quick but also wanted a quality meal and something (being Orlando) unique. “Shake Shack,” I quickly recommended. For those of you who have not heard of it Shake Shack, has about 100 locations and is one of the relatively newer and trendier burger joints which offer patrons a very unique dining experience, and very good food at affordable prices. The company grew an amazing 37% last quarter. When you add in similar chains like Burger FI and Smash Burger, these three companies are looking at close to $1 billion in sales next year! In the process, taking a big chunk of business away from former industry giants like McDonald’s and Burger King. Shake Shack and others like them are taking a concept long thought beat to death (fast food hamburger sales) to a different paradigm. The question is: Why couldn’t Wendy’s or McDonalds have filled this space? The answer is simple, the old kings of fast food were too stuck in their old paradigms to change and now they are feeling it, big time. Chick-fil-A grew tremendously with a mix of southern hospitality and exceptional customer service which knocked them all down a peg and now Shake Shack and others like them are hitting equally as hard. When it comes to patient care and quality service, our industry will be no different. Organizations who choose to stay old school will continue to feel the pain. Those who evolve too slowly will be in the same boat. Some will become the ‘Chick-fil-A’ by evolving and being different. And yes (beware) there will be ‘Shake Shacks’ and ‘Burger Fi’s’ who will come in and change everything. The biggest question for you is, why not get out in front of things now and be the one who pioneers the change? Don’t get Shake Shacked!
