Shake Shack Logo

Shake Shack Logo PNG

The designers developed a savory burger with a layered topping for the fast food chain that started with this popular dish. The Shake Shack logo is centered on this fast food king. Graceful lines add sophistication to the emblem and sophistication to the food.

Meaning and History

All restaurants of the network are united by common branding. As already known, it was developed by the design company Pentagram. But only a few people know that she had a hand in previous Shake Shack logos. The fact is that Madison Square Park is located across the street from its main office in New York City, so Danny Meyer could not help but go there.

What is Shake Shack?

Shake Shack is a chain of fast food restaurants that extends far beyond the US. Its head office is located in New York City, and the very first location, opened in 2004, is still located in Madison Square Park. The founder of the company is Danny Meyer.

2004 – 2008

You need to delve into the network’s history to understand why Shake Shack’s debut logo looks like this. It was 2004 when the Madison Square Park Conservancy finished the park’s restoration. Since Danny Meyer was one of its founders, he wanted to open a restaurant that would fit perfectly into the surrounding landscape. A team of architects led by James Wines undertook to implement the idea. They stylized the building as a 1960s kiosk, added sharp corners, and decorated it with ivy.

It was from this that Pentagram started when they created the first sign for Shake Shack. The specialists also considered the fact that there were many design studios around; that is, it was important to develop typography that corresponded to the creative district. As a result, the logo contained the name of the fast food chain, decorated in the Art Deco style and reminiscent of classic inscriptions on bar counters. The phrase was not separated by a space and consisted of thin black sans-serif glyphs. On the building, the letters looked especially impressive because they were enlarged and made of stainless steel.

Paula Scher was involved in branding and managed the project for free because it was part of the Madison Square Park restoration campaign. It was she who ensured that the design of the Shake Shack logo did not contradict the surrounding landscape and chose the modern Neutra font for it.

2008 – 2010

A new stage in the history of Shake Shack’s identity began in 2008. This was due to the unexpected expansion of the company. Launching his first restaurant, Danny Meyer did not even think about creating a fast food chain. But his business turned out to be so profitable that in 2006 he decided to open a second location. Since it was planned to go beyond the park zone, the old sign no longer fit the style. The restaurateur turned to Pentagram again and asked to adapt the logo to the urban environment so that it looks more traditional but does not lose its original aesthetics. Paula Scher was again involved in the rebranding – this time not for free, although she later noted that the payment was insufficient.

Under her leadership, the design team developed the idea of ​​a mid-century burger, changing it in accordance with modern realities. As a result, the Galaxie Cassiopeia font was chosen for the inscription, which imitated handwritten text. According to Paula, it looked like it was about to glow, like a neon sign from the 1950s. All letters except “S” and “h” were connected.

The curly inscription was combined with an icon in the form of a hamburger. The designers placed the drawing in the center to separate the words “Shake” and “Shack.” It consisted of four white elements outlined in green. On top was a semicircle that imitated the top of a cut bun. Below it was a lettuce leaf in the form of a wavy line, and then there were two rectangles with rounded edges. One of them imitated a cutlet, the second – the bottom of the roll.

2010 – today

In 2010, the restaurant chain expanded beyond New York City. Naturally, such an expansion entailed another change in the logo. However, no new elements appeared in it. The modern version combines an old wordmark and a hamburger icon created in 2008. Designers from Pentagram combined them, placing the drawing in the usual place to separate two words from the brand name.

Font and Colors

As the history of Shake Shack revealed, the logo of these restaurants has always adapted to the environment – first to the landscape of the park and then to modern city streets. That’s why it looks so versatile. Its main element is a schematic representation of a hamburger. The wavy stripe creates a dynamic that strict angular letters lack so much.

The Neutra font used for the inscription “SHAKE SHACK” belongs to the category of geometric grotesques. It can be recognized by the horizontal strokes shifted downwards. It was created in 2002 by the American typographer Christian Schwartz based on the work of the famous Austro-American architect Richard Neutra. And for the 2008 wordmark, Galaxie Cassiopeia, an equally authentic font with wavy and rounded lines, was chosen.

Designers from Pentagram made the brand name black. The outlines of the hamburger have a light green tint (#6CB33F). The background and the inner part of the drawing elements in the main version of the logo are painted white.

Shake Shack color codes