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| People are lined up in front of the Shake Shack store in Gangnam, southern Seoul, Saturday, a day after its opening. The store is Shake Shack's first location in Korea and second in Asia, following one in Japan. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young |
By Yun Suh-young
The New York burger chain Shake Shack finally came to Korea last Friday. The opening of a Shake Shack store in Gangnam, southern Seoul, had been the talk of the town for months and social media was flooded with excited posts.
When the store opened on July 22, the online fervor was proven real. Even before the opening of the store at 10 a.m., people were reported to have lined up hours in advance, some having been there all night, to be the first to try the burgers. Around 1,500 people were reported to have lined up for two to three hours on that day.
Informed of the unusual, yet expected phenomenon, this reporter set out on a mission the next day to find out what the big deal was.
Knowing that the lines would be less frantic between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ― the typical leisurely hours for restaurants ― this reporter arrived at 3:30 p.m. She was wrong. The line was nowhere near short, though a worker said that it was still the best time of day with the shortest waiting time. Apparently, people had been lining up since 7 a.m. that day.
Staffers from SPC Group, a food company that acquired the right to operate Shake Shack here, were present to help organize the situation. When asked how long it would take to get in, as of 3:40 p.m., SPC staff said it would take two hours from the end of the line.
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| Photos of a SmokeShack, left, and ShackBurger, the original / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young |
For this reporter, the initial plan was to take pictures of the fascinating scene, ask a few questions of those lined up and leave the scene. But curiosity sprouted. 'What was all the fuss about?'
Marveling at the scene and the tenacity and patience of the people in line, she decided to try being in their shoes, and see for herself if the burger was really worth the wait.
So at 4 p.m., she courageously stepped into the very back of the line.
The queue consisted of various age groups and there were many who came alone, despite this being a Saturday. Some people were taking turns standing in line due to the long wait and some were waiting on behalf of their crew. For this reporter, the boring and lonesome wait was filled with conversations with strangers, united in camaraderie. Interestingly, those who were in front and behind the reporter in line were all new to the Shake Shack experience.
Carly and Teresa from Michigan, who have lived in Korea for two years and are English teachers, said it was their first time to Shake Shack, as the franchise didn't have Michigan locations.
When asked whether it would be worth the wait, Carly said, "I don't know, but I've never been to the store before and I heard it would be opening in Seoul so I wanted to try it out."
Song Ye-rim said she came because she visited a New York location but failed to sample its food. "When I was in New York I was also in line but I returned, failing to wait due to schedule," she said. "I wanted to try this time since it's in Seoul."
While the queuers were fanning themselves with menus, Shake Shack staff handed out bottled water and samples of lemonade to taste.
The time finally came, after an hour in line ― which was pretty decent because everyone expected it would take longer.
When the reporter finally entered, she ordered a SmokeShack. And the taste? Well, it didn't manage to compensate the hour in line. The patty was solid and juicy, but other than that, the burger wasn't much unique. It was spicy due to ShakeShack's sauce, but was just a cheeseburger with smoked bacon ― something that could be found in other burger places as well. Was it superior to In-n-Out? Neither impressed the palate of this reporter. It wasn't worth the fuss.
Choi Ji-hye, who waited in line for an hour, said she liked the patty, but would have to try more burgers to be able to evaluate properly.
"I think it's the experience of being in such a popular place that compensates for the taste. It's worth a visit, but maybe not worth the wait," she said.
"I came because my friend waited in line ahead of me. I was curious too, but I wouldn't have lined up if I were on my own. I was planning to come when the fervor subsided."
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