FLATIRON — Madison Square Park, long a burger mecca for Shake Shack devotees, welcomed a new burger joint last week.
Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen, which has a location at 41st and Eighth Avenue, opened up on East 23rd Street between Madison and Park avenues, just a hop, skip and a jump away from one of the city’s biggest names in burgers.
The new location choice could be seen as retaliation. Shake Shack nabbed a location near Times Square just a few years ago, according to past reports.
But the company’s owners insist revenge wasn’t a motivating factor.
“It’s not lost on us that Shake Shack is across the park,” company COO Andrew Schnipper told the New York Times last year. “And I suppose to some extent, we’re competition.”
“But people near Madison Square Park love burgers,” Schnipper added. “And there are long lines at Shake Shack. And we’re indoors. We’re not shooting to capture their overflow, but it could happen.”
The companies seem to agree on a few basic concepts: crowd-pleasing food and low prices. A ShackBurger at Shake Shack costs about $4.50 for a single and $7 for a double. A cheeseburger at Schnipper’s is about $6.
Judging from the crowds on Thursday, it seems possible that the two may be able to thrive despite the proximity of competition. The lunchtime crowds inside Schnipper’s remained strong, while the line outside of Shake Shack was substantial.
The Shake Shack crowd dwindled slightly when a batch of rain swept through, but a little dampness didn’t deter some faithful Shack lovers and a few new customers.
Zoe Tan, 29, and Olga Milford, 38, were huddled under an umbrella enjoying their ShackBurgers on Thursday. Tan, a Columbia University graduate student, estimated she’s been to Shake Shack about a dozen times.
“I try to space it out,” Tan said. “It’s a little bit too good.”
“She’s managed to squeeze in twice in a week,” Tan added, turning to her friend who is visiting from Melbourne, Australia.
“The first time I went to Shake Shack was in Times Square, and that was full,” said Milford. “And on a rainy day in the park, there’s a huge queue here, so it kind of tells you that maybe it’s worth it.”
Tan said she would consider trying another burger place in the area, but she maintained a strong attachment to Shake Shack.
“It’s very different when it’s raining because then the inside factor becomes way more attractive," she continued. "But the idea that [with Shake Shack] you can sit in the park...you know, they’re on to a winner.”
Eric Evangelou, 18, was wiping down a table near Shake Shack on Friday before he and his friends sat down to eat.
Evangelou said he has eaten at Shake Shack at least 20 times, but he is open to the possibility of sampling another burger joint in the area—as long as it measures up.
“I’d consider another place if it was better, but right now, I haven’t found another place better than this,” said Evangelou, who walked past Schnipper's but has never eaten there.
Johnny Tieran, 30, and Paul Daday, 29, stopped by Shake Shack on Thursday for the first time ever, taking advantage of a line temporarily shortened by the rain.
“It lived up the to the hype,” said Tieran, who is visiting New York from Dublin, Ireland.
“I had high expectations as well, and I think it met and possibly passed those expectations,” said Daday, a Chicago resident staying in New York City for work training. “It was a great burger.”
Tieran said he actually saw a movie called "Something Borrowed" on the airplane to New York that referenced Shake Shack. For the name recognition alone, he wouldn’t consider going anywhere else for a burger when he’s in New York.
“The name precedes it,” said Tieran. “Anywhere else is just, like, a burger place.”
