Dear Danny, Put a Shake Shack Here, Love Eater Readers

On Wednesday, Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group offered up a cookbook, a cocktail book, and a $50 gift card for our ongoing Eater Giveaway Extravaganza. We challenged Eater readers to make a case for where Meyer's next Shake Shack should be. Suggestions included everywhere from Williamsburg to Vegas, the Soviet Union to Madison Square Garden. The winner, below, made the cut because it's oh so 2009. And while it may not be feasible, it would make the most people happy. But click through to see some of the other great ideas. Big takeaway Danny: people want the Shack all over New York.

Winner: I think Shake Shack #9 should be all over the city, via a food truck! Imagine how much money that truck will make parking in both financial districts (Wall St & Park Ave), the Meatpacking District (nightlife & celebs), Rockefeller Center (tourists), and places like Lower East Side, Chelsea, and Columbus Circle (various types of artists). Other food trucks are killing each other in competition, but a Shake Shack truck would smoke them all.

Williamsburg: Shake shack #9, without a doubt, should be in Brooklyn. I'd suggest McCarren Park as a first choice location, due not only to its proximity to me, but also to the hordes of hungry hipsters who populate the park throughout the year. If you extend the beer license to this location, it would without a doubt be a goldmine. When you consider the numerous free events that occur around this location all summer, you're guaranteed to have lines that rival those of the original Shack.

Astoria: Give the boroughs some love! We may have some of the best ethnic food in the city, but we are sorely lacking in a good ole burger. I suggest Broadway and Crescent....for selfish reasons, obviously.

Madison Square Park: The next Shake Shack should be in the southwest corner of Madison Square Park so that the people waiting in line for the original Shake Shack can get a snack while waiting in line.

The Highline: Because... the highline is one of the most popular areas for visitors and locals to visit (especially when it's warm). If you set up a shake-shack in a very popular destination, you will get a ton of foot traffic and since shake-shack is the modern/cool/hip version of the classic hamburger joint, the highline fits the retrospective.

East Village: St Mark's Place across from Baoguette where there is current vacancy. Why? The Asian cuisine (primarily Japanese) dominated street could use a burger place to compete with the BonChon fried chicken nearby. Heck, if Red Mango and Pinkberry are in the area, you know it's sure to be a winner.

Tribeca: Across from the Federal Javits Building in dowtown Mahattan (on the TriBeca side), there's a great restaurant space that used to be a Hungarian restaurant Stark's Veranda. The space is perfect for a Shake Shack, plus the area has plenty of office workers and residents that are forced to eat at the hundred generic delis and cardboard pizza joints in the area. So Danny Meyer can technically take on TriBeca/City Hall without pissing off the snooty residents to the West.

West Village: I think the next Shake Shack should be in the ground floor of the future St. Vincent Hospital on 7th avenue and 11th street. A wonderful alternative to typically crappy hospital food and when you OD on burgers, you can just take the elevator up to the IC unit.

FiDi: The next Shake Shack should be Downtown in the South Street Seaport/Financial District area. Currently, with Manhattan locations at Madison Square park and 77th and Columbus, and plans to open in midtown at 44th and 8th, and in the UES at 86th and Lexington, a broad area of Manhattan is covered. However, New Yorkers who live and work downtown have no Shake Shack within a 30 or so block radius. A downtown Shake Shack would bring a much needed lunch option to those who work downtown...In addition, the new buildings at the WTC site will be occupied within 5-6 years give or take, which will bring an even larger population of people. It is well known that there are a scarce amount of dining options in the Financial District, a Shake Shack would not only be an improvement, but it would also attract other restaurants to the area, thus improving the economy, and also contributing to the revitalization of that area.

Clinton Hill: Clinton Hill, Because gentrification is no longer a bad thing!

Downtown Brooklyn: The next Shake Shack has only one logical place to go. Brooklyn. While Shake Shack is widely known for their burgers, their hot dogs are second to none. Brooklyn is part of the vast history of the hot dog, dating back to 1870 when German immigrant, Charles Feltman started serving sausages on rolls on Coney Island. It is only natural that one of NYC's best hot dogs establish their place in the borough that inspired the phenomena in the first place. Of course, the Shake Shack kiosk would be located near Grand Army Plaza, so Brooklyn foodies picking up produce at the Greenmarket or bikers finishing a long bike ride or joggers after a long run or mothers vying for space in the stroller derby would be able to grab a burger, hot dog, shake and fries. I can only imagine the impending long lines.

Yankee Stadium: We need a Shake Shack up at Yankee Stadium. That's the one thing the Mets actually beat the Yankees in, food. I refuse to pay $10+ for a cold nasty Johnny Rocket "burger", but I've happily waited in line @ Shea (I will not endorse the official sponsor, unless they pay me!) for a delicious burger.

MSG: The Next Shake Shack should be inside of the soon-to-be renovated Madison Square Garden. With the culinary upgrades both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field have received in the past year, it seems only fitting that the World's Most Famous Arena has the city's best burger stand to boot.

St Louis: I think it should be at Cardinal’s Stadium. It is where Danny grew up, and where some of the Shack staples have been invented. Let’s see if it can stand up to what it has originated from?

Boston: For sure Boston Commons. Just to make sure all the massholes who's boss.

Vegas: In the New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Vegas. Why? First, you can't claim to have conquered the world if you don't have an outpost in Vegas, and clearly New York, New York is the perfect Vegas venue for the Shack. Put one of these babies in the middle of the "Central Park" themed casino and you'll have 24 hours' worth of drunk, exhausted, excited, and/or demoralized patrons at your footsteps. There's not a gambler in Vegas who would turn down the option to have a shackburger and fries delivered to him at the craps table by a cocktail waitress...

Atlanta: Should be in Atlanta 'cause this town is tired, and we need some good groceries. All we ever get is runner- up this, runner-up that (sports, Top Chef, etc). Then they all skip to NYC. Show us some love Master Danny. We can even put you in the Eno space where some TC runner up just vacated for the bright lights of NY.

QE2: The next shake shack should be on QM2 (Queen Mary The 2nd). Reasons why, rich people are sick of rich food, they all just want a damn burger done properly. Also burgers can now reach great depths and corners of the the world. 2nd and best reason, who isn’t sick of Todd English and his drama. LOL.

Airports everywhere: They need Shake Shack in area airports! Not only is it a captive audience, it would also be so nice to be welcomed home with the Shack. Other cities have great regional stuff in their airports (Chick-Fil-A in ATL, Salt Lick in AUS) that actually makes being in those airports (somewhat) fun. The Shack could be that for us, plus use that location to introduce non-locals to the brand.
· Make Your Case for Shake Shack #9, Win $50 of Burgers [~ENY~]