MANHATTAN — The Shake Shack empire is growing.
A new location for the burger chain is set to open across from Columbia University later this year, according to the company.
The burger joint, which famed restaurateur Danny Meyer started as a food cart in Madison Park in 2001, will take over the Ollie’s Noodle Shop and Grille space at 116th Street and Broadway, the Columbia Spectator first reported.
Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti told the Spectator that he has wanted to open a Morningside Heights location for seven or eight years.
“I have said for years before that this spot, the only spot I really want, is that old Ollie’s spot on 116th and Broadway,” Garutti told the paper.
The new location will feature reclaimed redwood from city water towers and will donate 5 percent of sales from its frozen custards to the Fresh Air Fund, the company said.
Gail Beltrone, Barnard College's vice president for campus services, told DNAinfo New York she was "delighted" when Shake Shack reached out about the space.
"We really feel a community responsibility in terms of who our tenants are," Beltrone said. "When this came up I thought 'what a great fit for the campus.'"
The closest current location to Columbia is at Columbus Avenue between 77th and 78th streets.
The burger brand has grown exponentially, with locations in 16 other states and internationally as far away as Japan.
Shake Shack’s Columbia location is expected to open by the end of 2017.
