Shake Shack Looking at 2018 Denver Debut?

Nine months since Shake Shack finally and officially quelled the wishes and rumors of a Denver expansion, Danny Meyer’s global burger sensation appears to be taking a little longer than expected to debut.

Originally aiming for a late 2017 arrival and currently hiring for management positions, Shake Shack’s CEO Randall Garutti is now referencing a 2018 launch at the corner of 30th and Larimer, alongside three other new ventures.

During a recent second quarter earnings call, Garutti included the RiNo Art District location with fellow new markets Milwaukee, Cleveland and Charlotte as members of the “great class of 2018 Shacks.”

Early plans included a 1,003-sqaure-foot of patio seating on both sides of the corner plot and an interior design featuring the now familiar tabletops made from reclaimed bowling alley lanes from Brooklyn’s CounterEvolution.

Fort Collins’ Odell Brewing Co. plans to fill a long 3,777-square-foot space right next door to the famed burgers and fries. The place will feature two bars, an outdoor patio with two fire pits, a live music stage and rooftop patio. Odell hopes to debut by the end of the year.

Walking a few more steps toward Finn’s Manor cocktail bar on Latimer Street, diners will find Utah-based fast-casual chain Even Stevens Sandwiches, which will share a 3,385-square-foot building with Aurora, Co.'s women's clothing boutique, Velvet Wolf. Even Stevens made its first move into the Colorado market earlier this month, debuting in Sloan’s Lake, with an eye on a future portfolio of three to five local outposts serving up “sandwiches, salads, bites, and a localized experience unique to every shop.”

• Shake Shack’s First Denver Location Revealed [EDEN]