Jelena Pasic grew up working side gigs in clubs and restaurants throughout Croatia, but she never imagined the hospitality industry would become her bread and butter. After studying business and moving to the U.S., she opened a small café with her husband in New York as an entrepreneurial experiment. That venture led to a pasta and grill concept, followed by another café and a full-service restaurant. Within five years, the experiment turned into four locations—and a moment of reckoning.
“I was ready to venture out on my own, and I learned how to separate personal and business expectations the hard way. But these were wonderful learning lessons for me, as they set me up to build a healthy business infrastructure,” Pasic says. “I knew I wanted to go for something simple and scalable … I love full-service concepts, but a fast-casual would allow me to have some semblance of balance between family and work.”
Pasic’s vision for a fast-casual brand was rooted in timelessness and inspired by the classic nostalgia of Harlem. She looked to the neighborhood’s historic institutions—like the Lenox Lounge, St. Nick’s Jazz Pub, and M&G Diner—for inspiration. At the same time, she saw a gap: Harlem didn’t have an authentic burger joint. So, she combined both ideas and launched Harlem Shake in 2013.
“I wanted a restaurant that looks like it’s been around forever, not something trendy today and gone tomorrow. [Harlem Shake] is a concept people can come back to over and over and feel a sense of belonging,” Pasic says. “Our idea is new in terms of functionality and menu, but at its core, we respect and pay homage to the spirit of Harlem … a culture that is still as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.”
The first location opened in the heart of Harlem during what Pasic calls its “second renaissance”—a time of cultural revitalization and new business growth. As the neighborhood evolved, Harlem Shake became known not only for its gourmet burgers but also for its strong ties to the local community.
From the start, Pasic prioritized hiring Harlem residents; about 65 percent of the original staff lived on the east or west side of the neighborhood. Harlem Shake has remained deeply involved in local partnerships, working with organizations such as the African American Day Parade, Black Ink, Harlem Business Alliance, Heart for Harlem, Harlem EatUp!, and others. Since its founding, the brand has collaborated with more than 50 community stakeholders.
“It’s not as much marketing as it is a relationship with your community. These partnerships make Harlem Shake more than a restaurant. It becomes a third place, and people accept us as part of their neighborhood,” Pasic says. “Our cultural involvement makes us a strong brand with deep roots … but we also have a strong focus on our menu, our technology, and our customer service.”
Inside the restaurant, Pasic attributes Harlem Shake’s success to a streamlined menu of smashed hamburgers, organic shakes, and fries—all made with top-quality ingredients and executed with “ruthlessly” consistent execution.
Coming out of the pandemic, the brand learned to adapt. Pasic trimmed the menu to improve efficiency and focus on profitability.
“I loved having a breakfast menu, but we needed to become leaner and focus on what we do best. We’re staying true to our original recipes and not trying to reinvent ourselves dramatically in terms of food design,” Pasic says. “Consistency makes classics. And that is the experience we want to deliver to our guests.”
The simplified menu also served a strategic purpose: preparing the brand for franchising. During the pandemic, as the world slowed down, Pasic began investing her time into projects that would help Harlem Shake grow in the post-COVID era.
For Pasic, the decision to pursue franchising was a no-brainer. The fast-casual model was easy to replicate, and Harlem Shake’s nostalgic charm, paired with the cultural cachet of its namesake neighborhood, had clear potential for expansion into other markets.
The shutdown gave the brand time to enhance its tech stack and POS systems, automate operations and accounting, and prepare for the next stage of growth. In 2023, Harlem Shake also refreshed its branding and trademarks as it officially entered the franchising market.
“This gave us the powerful opportunity to provide the best counsel to our future franchisees. We put all of our ducks in a row to start doing franchise sales. At first, we were just dabbling in it after registering our FDD and opening up our second corporate location,” Pasic says. “But now we’re ready and extremely excited to welcome our first group of franchisees as we expand and look at potential venture capital opportunities.”
Pasic wasn’t daunted by the scale of the project. She was excited to roll up her sleeves and do the “homework” required to build Harlem Shake into a national brand. Looking ahead, she’s focused not only on expansion but also on mentorship—helping others grow by encouraging continuous learning and self-investment.
“It’s so rewarding to me, as an immigrant woman from Croatia, to be able to express myself professionally and beat odds that were not stacked in my favor, just through hard work and creativity,” Pasic says. “My advice to other women is to respect others, but also be respected. A lot of times you may feel like you have to bid for your right to speak in boardrooms, but being a strong female entrepreneur requires being able to draw the line and stand behind it.”
