Shake Shack Debuts Limited-Time Meat-Free Picnic For 2 In Select Cities

CORRECTION 7/26/23: A previous version of this article described the picnic as "vegan." The veggie burger is not vegan, though the picnic kit contains vegan options.

As plant-based diets become more and more common, burger joints everywhere are adjusting their menus to include the cravings of vegetarians and vegans – Shake Shack included. The burger chain recently introduced a veggie burger to its menu to go alongside the shroom burger as options for non-meat eaters. Now, it's taking things a step further to entice fans with a limited-time vegetarian picnic for two in select cities around the U.S. on Saturday, July 29, or Sunday, July 30, to celebrate National Picnic Month (July).

"The brand is celebrating the launch of its new plant-based menu items and encouraging guests to 'veg out' with a new picnic kit, curated for outdoor dining at parks across the country," Shake Shack said in an email sent to Tasting Table. The main items packed in the picnic sets include the aforementioned veggie burger, which is made with seasonal veggies and grains, as well as the brand's new Non-Dairy Chocolate Frozen Custard, which is fully plant-based.

But the "Veg Out" picnic includes much more than just the veggie burger and custard. In fact, Shake Shack takes care of the whole picnic experience for you.

The "Veg Out" picnic for two is full of items to give you a memorable picnic experience and comes at just $60 per kit (with a $250 value). Firstly, there are the two veggie burgers and one pint of vegan frozen chocolate custard, of course. Additionally, it comes with fries — because you can't have burgers without fries — as well as two lemonades to sip on. In case things get messy, they include two custom cloth napkins. The kit also provides bamboo silverware to enjoy the custard, and to keep things cool, there's also a S'well ice cream chiller included.

All of the items come in a picnic basket that includes a Dock & Bay picnic blanket to lounge on and enjoy your food. And since you'll likely be sitting out in the sun, the kit also comes with two 1-ounce bottles of Supergoop! Play sunscreen. The kit even takes care of entertainment and comes with a Bluetooth speaker, a Frisbee, and a deck of playing cards.

If you're interested in the Shake Shack picnic experience, then you're probably wondering if the nearest location to you is offering the "Veg Out" picnic. Jay Livingston, Chief Marketing Officer of Shake Shack, said in a statement, "We're bringing Shack fans a next level experience that draws inspiration from our roots — Madison Square Park — with a picnic kit that comes with everything you need to 'veg out' at the park, in NYC, and across the country!"

Seeing as the Madison Square Park Shake Shack was the first-ever location — the chain's "roots," as Livingston said — it only makes sense for that store to be one of the Shacks participating in the picnic. But, luckily, those outside of New York can still enjoy the picnic. A few other major cities not too far from New York are on board: the Wharf Shack in Washington, D.C. and the Chicago Athletic Association (CAA) Shack in Illinois. Meanwhile, on the west coast, there are two participating locations in California: the Santa Monica Shack in Los Angeles and the Cow Hollow Shack in San Francisco. The rest of the participating locations include Piedmont Park Shack in Atlanta, Georgia; Central West End Shack in St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Uptown Shack in Dallas, Texas; Brackenridge Park Shack in San Antonio, Texas; and Edgewater Shack in Denver, Colorado.