Culinology - June 2019 - 34

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beginning process of determining if we could
make this work everywhere.
Setting up processes for how we develop
and test items has been one of my main
focuses since starting at Shake Shack. It is
critical to have good processes in place so
that the introduction of a new menu item can
go smoothly.
What is your role in the new NYC
Innovation Kitchen?
Ms. Oesterle: I work alongside our culinary innovation team in the Innovation Kitchen
[opened last fall] to support their development
of new items and concepts. With the new
kitchen in the basement, we are able to do
preliminary tests of menu items in the West
Village Shake Shack located just above us.
[The home office is on the third floor.] This
allows us the flexibility to quickly change the
menu when a new idea is created and also for
us to gauge customer interest. Once we've
done a preliminary test at the West Village,
we will determine if the item has legs to be
expanded to other locations and we start the
process of doing a scale-up and full-on test
of the item.
What role do you play in creating a
limited time offer (LTO)?
Ms. Oesterle: Our team consists of culinary, product development and quality assurance, with Executive Chef John Karangis
and Culinary Director Mark Rosati leading
the innovation side of development. Prior to
our move to the Innovation Kitchen and the
addition of John to the team, the innovation and commercialization aspects of what

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Culinolog y | JUNE 2019

we do were less delineated; while we were
pushing for creativity and innovation, we
were always working with the guardrails of
feasibility of cost and operations in mind. By
separating the functions, John and Mark are
able to innovate with fewer guardrails in the
way of creativity. Once they have developed
a concept or idea and it has been vetted
from a flavor and appeal perspective, it is up
to me and my team to turn it into something
that can be executed consistently and with
excellence.
How critical is standardization of flavor
and presentation to the success of the
brand?
Ms. Oesterle: Consistency of product
and product quality is critically important to
us. We want our guests to be able to travel
worldwide to our locations and have a true
Shake Shack experience, so we work hard to
make sure our signature products are as similar as they possibly can be from location to
location. I'm responsible for working with our
supplier partners to commercialize recipes,
ensure that those products are consistently
produced to our specification and ensure
that those facilities meet our quality and food
safety standards.
What have you learned from working
for/with Chef Danny Meyer?
Ms. Oesterle: I think the main thing I have
learned is the importance of hospitality and
company culture. Having a strong culture defines the success of both employees and the
company as a whole so it's been so great to
take part in that success at a culinary level. *

Culinology - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - June 2019