Manchester has no shortage of banging burger joints, but the arrival of Shake Shack feels like a new milestone. The New York burger brand is opening its first northern site, and it is heading straight for the Trafford Centre, where a large new Shack will open in March 2026.
The menu is the usual ShackBurgers, crinkle-cut fries, flat-top dogs, and hand-spun shakes, all in rotation alongside chicken, lemonades, beer, and wine. The team says it is aiming to bring the same easy hospitality that the brand built its name on in Madison Square Park.
Ahead of the launch, local illustrator Jessica Lee is designing a bright hoarding that taps into Manchester's music scene with a few playful Shack nods thrown in. It will appear later this year, so you will probably spot it before the doors open.
For now, the main takeaway is that the city's already busy line-up of American fast food is about to get another big player in the game, and the Trafford Centre crowd will likely be first in line.