Every six months or so, Shake Shack (SHAK) shakes up its milkshakes and replaces two limited-edition versions on its menu with more seasonal offerings.
Since January, the two temporary shakes were the "Chocolate Pie Shake" and the "Wake And Shake." Made with vanilla custard, coffee, and maple syrup, the latter was the burger chain's not-so-subtle nod to the cannabis community for a shake that was available during 4/20.
And while the effort is an understandable riff on wake-and-bake (a term that means smoking marijuana as soon as you wake up), ultra-sweet shakes are typically not viewed as the thing to have first thing in the morning.
Shake Shack
The Two New Shakes Are All About The Chocolate
Available from now until the holiday shakes come back in late autumn, Shake Shack's latest seasonal shakes are the Oreo Funnel Cake Shake and the Chocolate Churro Shake.
Made with a base of vanilla frozen custard, the Oreo Funnel Cake Shake has Mondelez (MDLZ)'s Oreo cookies, chocolate whipped cream, and crunchy bits made from the classic funnel cake dessert associated with amusement parks and state fairs.
While the churro shake does not come with a churro like in the photo, the cinnamon-flavored frozen custard, dark chocolate, and crunchy waffle cone crumbles are meant to mimic the taste of the treat common in countries like Mexico and Spain.
"Hand-spun cinnamon churro frozen custard, topped with spiced dark chocolate sauce, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon waffle cone crumbles," reads the description of the Chocolate Churro Shake.
The shakes will cost around $5.99 but vary slightly depending on location due to rapidly-changing food costs. They also should not be viewed as anything other than a very indulgent treat -- the Oreo Funnel Cake clocks in at a whopping 1,100 calories while the latter is a "lighter" version at over 950 calories.
The two seasonal shakes join the vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry shakes permanently on Shake Shack's menu.
Prior to the "Wake and Shake," Shake Shack also had the Sugar Plum Fairy Shake and the Christmas Cookie Shake for its Holiday 2021 menu. The next new shake offering will likely come in time for the 2022 holidays.
What Else Is Happening At Shake Shack?
In the same month as the seasonal shakes were announced, Shake Shack also released a dairy-free chocolate shake made in partnership with the Chile-based alternative milk producer NotCo.
Both the shake and the new dairy-free frozen custard are meant to be copycats of the chain's regular chocolate versions.
As shakes are a perennial favorite, bringing customers more plant-based options is perhaps the best business move given current food and dining trends. A recent study by Morning Consult found that one in three American consumers use a nondairy milk at least once a week while the plant-based milk market is projected to reach $30.79 billion by 2031.
Consumers, in turn, are increasingly looking for plant-based options at their coffee and fast food chains.
Still, the plant-based shake and frozen custard at Shake Shack are currently going through a test run in select New York and Florida locations and are slated to leave the menu unless demand proves strong enough to justifying putting them on the menu permanently.
Shake Shack has floundered over the last year, with stock prices falling by more than 50% since May 2021. On May 25, shares were up 4.33% to $43.57.
