Crinkle cut fries and gloopily thick milkshakes are officially coming to Manchester in the new year.
Popular, ever-expanding New York burger chain Shake Shack has revealed plans to open at the Trafford Centre in March 2026. So far the US company’s UK operations have been mostly focused on London, though it also has outposts in Oxford, Cardiff, Cambridge and Birmingham. The Manchester opening will be the first Shake Shack branch in the north of England and 18th in the UK.
Expect the usual fan favourites on the menu: Aberdeen angus burgers, crispy chicken, homemade lemonade, those wavy fries, ‘flat-top’ hot dogs and seriously hefty chocolate, coffee and caramel milkshakes.
Shake Shack is not the only hyped American food chain to have announced it is branching out of London and heading up north in recent weeks. Egg-centric company Eggslut announced it will open in Manchester's Deansgate by the end of January 2026.
Richard Franks, Business Director at Shake Shack UK, said: ‘Manchester’s a city that does things proper; it’s full of heart, graft and great taste. We’re so pumped to be growing Shake Shack across the UK, and to be opening our first Northern Shack at the Trafford Centre. We can’t wait to be a part of this city.’
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: ‘We’re really excited to welcome Shake Shack’s first Northern restaurant to Trafford Centre.
‘We know our visitors are going to love getting their hands on those iconic ShackBurgers and crinkle-cut fries. It’s a huge moment for the North — and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it with us in 2026.’
Shake Shack, The Great Hall, The Trafford Centre, Manchester, M17 8BP. Opens March 2026.
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