Shake Shack sets opening date for Lake Grove location

Suffolk is getting a Shake Shack for its very own. On March 7, the wildly popular international burger-and-shake chain is opening in the Smith Haven Plaza in Lake Grove.

Shake Shack already operates restaurants in Garden City and New Hyde Park; a Melville location is also in the works (and looks pretty close to opening — earlier this week, tables and chairs were stacked outside).

The Lake Grove store was announced in November. It will be one of two tenants in the building that once housed John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House. The other tenant, Chipotle Mexican Grill, is also nearing completion.

On the menu at all Shake Shacks: burgers, chicken, hot dogs, fresh-made frozen custard and crinkle fries, plus soft drinks, wine and beer. In addition to the chain’s Brooklyn Brewery ShackMeister Ale, Lake Grove patrons will be able to quaff Suffolk County brews from Blue Point Brewing Company, Port Jeff Brewing Company, Greenport Harbor Brewing and Great South Bay Brewery.

Unlike many other burger chains, Shake Shack does not franchise; the company operates all of its locations directly, and this tends to keep the quality at a very high level. (Airport and foreign locations are operated through licensing agreements.) The first Shake Shack opened in 2004 in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park. The Lake Grove store will be the company’s 125th Shake Shack worldwide, 75th in the United States.

Shake Shack, 2093 Smith Haven Plaza, Lake Grove; shakeshack.com