Danny Meyer, the founder of Shake Shack, which will officially open its first UK site in Covent Garden today, has moved quickly to play down talk of a “burger war” between itself, US rival Five Guys and UK operators, and welcomed competition because “it makes us better”.
He said: “The fact is in the restaurant business there is nothing new. People make a big deal out of burgers these days, but is there anyone out there today who thinks they invented the hamburger? The hamburger has been out there a long time and there will be burgers long after our time. Why are we even talking about this conversation about burgers and not pizza parlours of which there are more?
“We believe that the rising tide lifts all boats. One thing we love, unlike Coke and Pepsi, which won’t be caught in the same room together is that we are competitors with each other on one hand, but actually like being in the same room with one another.
“The best way to take care of ourselves is to get more people going out to eat. We like having competitors because it makes us better but the thing we like more than anything is I would rather be at the top of this tide with a whole bunch of company than on top of a baby tide that no-one cares about.
“We find it amusing that when we open a restaurant in New York or in London one the first things that people talk about is the competition. We say make custard, not war.”
