Shake Shack prepares to open in Middletown

MIDDLETOWN — Brace yourselves, burger lovers.

Shake Shack will open a new restaurant, located at 1449 Route 35, on September 4. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The restaurant occupies the former Moe’s restaurant space at Middletown Plaza, located at the corner of Route 35 and Harmony Road. The 2,600-square-foot restaurant sits at the edge of the shopping center, near its Route 35 entrance.

Shake Shack bills itself as a “modern roadside burger stand” known for its Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches and flat-top grilled hot dogs, fresh frozen custard and crispy crinkle-cut fries.

The new Middletown location continues Shake Shack’s expansion in Monmouth County. In August 2019, it opened a restaurant in Eatontown on the Monmouth Mall bypass. In June, it opened at Pond Road Plaza on Route 9 in Freehold Township. A location is also under construction in Brick.

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Shake Shack is just the latest change at Middletown Plaza. Circus Wines Beer & Spirits will move its store near the intersection of Kings Highway East to the former Party Fair space in the center. Party Fair is moving to Bottle King Plaza on the north side of Highway 35.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is opening a bakery. Trader Joe’s opened last spring, renovating what was once a Walgreens.

Middletown Plaza is also in the midst of an $8.9 million renovation. Its owner, Brixmor Property Group, is renovating with a new façade, improved landscaping, new signage on pylons and waste enclosures and a complete repaving, a project expected to be completed in early 2025.

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On opening day of Shake Shack, the first wave of customers can expect to receive Shake Shack tote bags and stickers. The Middletown Shack will donate $1 for every sandwich sold at the restaurant on September 4 to JBJ Soul Kitchen.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business journalist, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news for the Asbury Park Press for 27 years. He writes APP.com’s What’s Going There column and can be reached at [email protected]. Sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What’s Going There page on Facebook for updates.