First Look: Shake Shack Opens Tomorrow In Dupont Circle

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Shake Shack finally kicks things off tomorrow at 11 a.m. with their Dupont Circle grand opening. And to help make your inevitable wait in line a little easier, they've invited Detroit's Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. in for a quick pop-up acoustic set starting at 12:30 p.m. Eater got a little sneak peek inside the New York institution's first DC location, which boasts seating for about 175 people, exposed brick and polished wood walls and the most flat-screen TVs of any Shack outpost. And that's not the only thing that's different about the DC Shake Shack.

Though most Shack locations tend to cater to the grab-n-go crowd, CEO David Swinghamer says this one is designed to be more of a hangout, playing off the neighborhood's residential vibe. "This area spoke to us," he said. They took down the giant yellow Fuddruckers awning to open up the tall windows to the outside so that customers will feel like they're part of the street scene. Flat-screen TVs in the main dining space and the lofted seating are meant to encourage people to stay a while, Swinghamer explains.

The menu will be largely the same at the nation's newest Shake Shack, with a few twists. They'll be offering half-size frozen custard concretes for the first time, available in DC-centric recipes like the Majority Whip or the Washington Monu-Mint — the latter from which a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Share Our Strength. They'll be serving two specially-made-for-Shake-Shack wines from Frog's Leap winery, including a cabernet franc and a sauvignon blanc, in addition to other wines and beers.

So, we repeat: Shake Shack is opening tomorrow. 11 a.m. Acoustic set at 12:30 p.m. Let the Dupont Circle burger wars begin.

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