Shake Shack announced the launch of Now Serving: A Collab Series by Shake Shack. Now Serving is a series of collaborations with well-known chefs and restaurateurs across the U.S. featuring unique, exclusive menu items available for a limited time, with a portion of net proceeds benefiting local nonprofits helping those in the restaurant community.
The series kicks off March 4 in Houston with Chris Shepherd, Owner and Executive Chef of Underbelly Hospitality, who has teamed up with Shake Shack on the Southern Smoke Chicken: a crispy chicken breast sandwich served with Shepherd’s spicy bacon jam, pickled jalapeño mustard, cherry peppers and shredded lettuce. Net proceeds from the collaboration will go toward Shepherd’s own Southern Smoke Foundation, a crisis relief organization for people in the food and beverage industry co-founded by Shepherd.
Now Serving will also feature collaborations this year with Pinky Cole of Slutty Vegan in Atlanta, Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, Junghyun Park of Atoboy and Atomix in New York, Joseph “JJ” Johnson of FIELDTRIP in New York and Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago, among others, with a portion of net proceeds from each collaboration going to the local nonprofit of their choosing. Each collaboration will also include free exclusive swag with each order.
“It’s been so much fun working with Shake Shack on a collaborative sandwich to benefit Southern Smoke,” says Chris Shepherd, Chef and Owner of Underbelly Hospitality and Co-founder of the Southern Smoke Foundation. “Our industry continues to struggle, and the money raised from this sandwich will help food and beverage workers in crisis. Houstonians have such huge hearts – and appetites – so I hope they come out to eat for a cause and raise funds to support our industry.”
Known for its collaborations with chefs and notable industry veterans over the years, including a collaboration with Dominique Ansel in March 2019 and Bar Sardine’s Gabriel Stulman in October 2020, Shake Shack continues to push the envelope by elevating its menu with premium ingredients and unique offerings for guests. As part of its mission to Stand for Something Good, Shake Shack is committed to delivering the ultimate guest experience and supporting the restaurant industry from which the modern-day roadside burger stand was born.
The current schedule for Now Serving is as follows, with more collaborations around the country to come:
- March 4 – Houston – Chris Shepherd
- April 8 – Atlanta and New York – Pinky Cole
- May 6 – New York – Junghyun Park
- June 17 – Chicago – Sarah Grueneberg
- July 22 – San Francisco – Dominique Crenn
- September 23 – New York – JJ Johnson
“We’re thrilled to partner with some of the best chefs in the country for this series while giving back to the restaurant community during these difficult times,” says Mark Rosati, Culinary Director at Shake Shack. “We love crafting fun, delicious menu items in an elevated way, inspired by our fine dining roots and with an emphasis on premium ingredients. Now Serving brings together a unique vision and style from top chefs who share our passion and commitment, paired with our roadside-inspired classics, and we can’t wait to show our Shack fans what we’re cooking up.”
