Shake Shack (finally) confirmed its opening at CentralWorld in March yesterday through its social media channels. Last May, the American burger fast-casual chain first announced its planned arrival in Thailand, complete with a logo of an elephant holding a burger with its trunk.
Now a black construction fence has been set up in front of CentralWorld, featuring an eye-catching mural by Chiang-Mai-born Thai-Indian artist Navin Rawanchaikul, who's best known for his vintage film poster aesthetic in paintings but he has worked with various mediums.
Before becoming a burger boom with more than 400 locations worldwide, Shake Shack had a humble beginning as a hot dog cart at Madison Square Park in New York in 2001. Navin is the perfect choice to do the mural for Shake Shack Thailand since he created an image that was plastered on the cart that would later evolve to Shake Shack today. The cart was conceived to support his "I Heart Taxi" exhibition, which featured taxi statues on stilts as art installations that people can sit underneath for shade in Madison Square Park. It was held in an effort to improve the park. The contemporary Thai artist also had a big mural titled The Description Of The World on display at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia last year in partnership with Swatch and subsequently released a Swatch watch based on the same design.
Shake Shack Thailand's mural at CentralWorld is described as "a voyage in arts and gastronomy" and if you look closer, you'll spot faces of Navin, Shake Shack's founder Danny Meyer and CEO Randy Garutti. It seems Shake Shack plans to be here for the long haul since it announced its ambition to open 15 branches in Thailand by 2032.
As the usual case for any famous food franchise imports, brace yourself for a long queue to get your hands on a Double ShackBurger or a chocolate shake when it opens. More info at fb.com/shakeshackthailand.
*All photos coutesy of Shake Shack Thailand
