Shake Shack Opens In Moscow

The popular burger chain Shake Shack is growing and expanding. What originally started out as a hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park is today a renowned burger chain with 21 locations within the U.S. and 15 more across the world. On Thursday, Dec. 19, Shake Shack will open its newest venture, located in the Russian capital of Moscow.

Shake Shack Moscow will be the first in Russia, while other international spots can be found in the U.K., Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. The Moscow resturant will be situated on the historic Arbat street, and the "fine casual" restaurant is expected "to transform the neighborhood and make Russians think differently about American cuisine," Danny Meyer, whose Union Square Hospitality Group created Shake Shack, told the The Moscow Times.

"It has always been interesting for us to go somewhere sooner than other people," Danny Meyer told the Russian newspaper.

According to The Moscow Times, it took almost two years for Meyer and his company to find the right location in Moscow to open up a resturant.

The Moscow Shake Shack will serve both the classic "American" menu as well as a few items tailored to the taste of the locals. One of the items featured only at the Moscow location is the Meister Dog, a pork sausage topped with cheese sauce, dill pickles, and shallots marinated in beer and fried. For dessert, the location will aslo offer two exlusive varieties of the chain's popular frozen custard, named Charm of the Arbat and the Great Wintry Way.

Though Russia's Shake Shack ships its beef from Australia, and a few other ingredients from the U.S., the goal for the future is to only use local products.