I read some interesting comments from readers around the web today, and one really caught my eye about what is really going on with shake shack-- it was on the NYTimes.com. Here's the article: NY Times Shake Shack IPO Article And here is a comment that really caught my eye, by a writer who goes by the name of "DCL": I'm glad this person has developed his market, but I disagree on the article's assertion that it "has resonated with consumers who grew up on fast food but are both wary and weary of it." The success of ShakeShack has very little to do with weariness of fast food itself. It has to do with social class. ShakeShack is twice the price of McDonald's. Like so many articles lately, this one completely ignores class & the increasing global economic disparity. When my son went to an elite NYC school on a scholarship, his classmates would often skip their meal plan and go out "for a cheap meal." Their idea of a 'cheap' meal was Shakeshack, where a simple meal of a thin hamburger, small fries & a drink will cost around $10. A meal there was far over my son's budget. Which is the idea. If it's about quality, you can go to many nice restaurants & get served with home cooked non-factory style meals for the same price or often less. I visited a ShakeShack in the Philly area once, as I was curious what the big deal was. Lines stretched out in the street. The people were entirely upper middle class white people in a city that is largely black & poor. Lots of tourists. Inside, the food was served really quickly, so for the cost of a nice meal, I had a hunched over quick meal. Again, good for the owner to find his niche. But let's not pretend this has to do with the quality of its food. What it has over McDonald's is a slice of green lettuce, and no rabble. The person here, who I don't know, has said it better than I ever could. It's great that the IPO is doing well, but let's be honest about what it actually is!