Shake Shack To Bring Outdoor Pop Up To Raceway Mall This Weekend

FREEHOLD, NJ – You can now get your Shake Shack fix in Freehold, but only for a very limited time.

The fast food chain, which specializes in burgers, fries and milkshakes, will host an outdoor pop-up event in the Freehold Raceway Mall from July 31 to Aug. 2. Food service will be available from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The temporary burger joint will be located near the mall’s main entrance near P.F. Changs and the Cheesecake Factory. Guests will be able to dine-in on a spacious dining patio as well as place to-go orders.

"Shake Shack holds its Shacks to the highest standards of cleanliness and food safety," the company wrote in a statement. "With the well-being of our communities as our guide, we’ve been adapting our Shacks to ensure the safety of our guests + team members, including doubling down on our current comprehensive health + safety protocols and introducing new requirements as we start to reopen."

While nearby Shake Shack locations include Monmouth Mall in Eatontown and Monmouth Rest Stop in Wall, Freehold has yet to acquire a permanent location. The company has eyed the township as a potential site for years, but has previously failed in gaining permits and approval.

The Freehold Township Planning Board was presented with a plan to build an 84-seat Shake Shack restaurant on Route 9 at East Freehold Road back in 2018. However, the proposal was ultimately scrapped as the plan called for over a dozen exceptions to zoning rules, including building a 3,514 square foot complex when the minimal building size calls for 5,000 square feet. The request was met with a 4-3 vote to deny the project.

"At this time, we have no plan of taking a permanent spot at the mall," a spokesperson from Shake Shack told Patch. "However, we are excited to bring Shake Shack to this community in such a fun way this weekend."

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