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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Glendale Project Serves Up New Restaurant Chain

Caruso Affiliated has officially signed the first of six new tenants to its street-retail project in Glendale – and it marks the entrance of a new restaurant chain to the L.A. market. Shake Shack Inc., a burger and milkshake chain, will open a location in the one-story retail building next to the Masonic Temple and directly across from Caruso’s Americana at Brand shopping center. “We feel Shake Shack is a great addition for the city of Glendale,” said Julie Jauregui, senior general manager at the Americana. “In addition to Shake Shack, unique streetfront retail and dining will exist there, consistent with the character of the street heading north on Brand Boulevard, as well as across the street at the Americana at Brand.” Shake Shack was founded in 2004 by Union Square Hospitality Group, a holding company in New York that owns and operates multiple restaurants, including brands Union Square Café and Blue Smoke. The company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, has more than 60 domestic and international locations in nearly a dozen states including Nevada, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania. The company’s international restaurants in the United Kingdom, Middle East, Russia and Japan are operated through license agreements. The all-natural burger stand has evolved since its start as a hotdog cart outside of Madison Union Square in New York. Its menu features antibiotic-free Angus beef burgers, an assortment of hand-spun shakes as well as beer and wine. Prices range from $5 for a shake to $10 for burgers; the restaurant is slated to open late this year. With 60 restaurants, it’s somewhat of a surprise that Shake Shack’s Glendale burger stand will be the chain’s first foray into Los Angeles. “We are always interested in bringing Shake Shack into communities with dynamic stories and culture. Los Angeles communities, like Glendale, are thriving and have a passion for great food and drink,” Laura Enoch, senior marketing manager at Shake Shack, said in a statement. The city of Glendale has pushed to revitalize its downtown, to increase foot traffic, and boost business and residential density, and Caruso’s retail project could help those goals. The one-story, 9,750-square-foot building can accommodate a half-dozen tenants, and the company wants a mix of local retailers and national names. “We look forward to announcing additional tenants in the coming months,” said Jauregui. “Tenants will include both unique retailers and restaurants to complement the Masonic Temple and the other first-class restaurants on Brand Boulevard, including Bourbon Steak and Din Tai Fung.” In addition to the Glendale opening, Shake Shack plans to launch another location in West Hollywood later this year. That restaurant, at 8520 Santa Monica Blvd., will feature what the company refers to as a “happy wall.” The wall will be a colorful analog pixel screen constructed at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and West Knoll Drive to provide a venue for self-expression. “We’ve heard from our West Coast fans for years that they’d love a Shake Shack in California, and at long last, we’re delighted to say Shake Shack L.A. is on its way,” Randall Garutti, Shake Shack chief executive, said in a statement. Buffet, anyone? Agoura Hills’ Niroj Kurdish Cuisine is now offering customers a selection of Kurdish Mediterranean food for lunch. Co-founded in 2012 by restaurateurs Luqman Barwari and Cezar Donatelli, Niroj strives to bring a modern rendition of Kurdish cuisine to the adventurous foodie. “Everyone loves hummus, kebabs and falafel,” said owner Barwari in a statement. “I’m thrilled to have (patrons) come in and order stuff even their kids would like, and then take a chance on something new.” Located at 30313 Canwood St., the restaurant’s new luncheon buffet is available Tuesday through Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; prices run from $11 for adults and $6 for children. In addition to the luncheon buffet, the 2,900-square-foot restaurant also sports a new al fresco patio that accommodates up to 72 guests. Menu items include popular dishes such as baba ghanoush and lentil soup as well as more innovative dishes such as ground spicy lamb and tiger shrimp marinated in butter sauce. Closed Grill Grilled Concepts Inc., a restaurant operator in Woodland Hills, has laid off 50 workers with the closure of its Daily Grill restaurant in Studio City. The company owns four restaurant brands throughout the country including the Grill on the Alley, which has seven locations in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas, and the Daily Grill, with locations predominantly in Southern California. The layoff of 50 Daily Grill employees at the 12050 Ventura Blvd. location included managerial staff, bartenders and 18 servers, as reported by a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification updated by the state’s Employment Development Department last month. Layoffs were effective Jan. 3 and are expected to be permanent. Staff Reporter Champaign Williams can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].

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