Shake Shack Corporate Office

When Shake Shack sought to establish its second U.S. hub, the beloved burger brand selected The Battery Atlanta, one of NELSON Worldwide’s signature mixed-use destinations, as the ideal location. In a testament to NELSON’s placemaking expertise, Shake Shack then enlisted the firm’s Workplace team to design its new ATL – Shack Support Center within the very development NELSON helped bring to life. This dual connection underscores the power of creating environments that attract the right brands and foster lasting relationships.

The design team found inspiration in Shake Shack’s origins, channeling the energy and character of the brand’s first location at Madison Square Park in New York City. This nostalgic reference shaped the first-floor experience, grounding the space in the company’s heritage while translating it into a new context. The result is an environment that feels unmistakably Shake Shack: welcoming, energetic, and rooted in community.

NELSON’s Experiential Graphic Design team played a key role in bringing that energy to life, infusing moments of lighthearted fun and translating the brand’s ethos of “making Fine Casual accessible” into the built environment. A highlight of their work is the two-story entry mural, created in collaboration with Atlanta muralist George F. Baker. With input from Shake Shack’s Creative team and NELSON’s Atlanta-based interiors team, the mural reflects authentic local character. The result is a space rooted in its community, creating a sense of place where employees and visitors alike feel a genuine connection.

To meet the client’s functional requirements, NELSON delivered a program that includes two dedicated, subdividable training rooms, an exhibition kitchen for showcasing product development and culinary offerings to guests, and conference room suites designed to support meaningful conversations. A lounge and café, referred to as the Park, provide a natural touchdown point for employees and visitors upon entering the building, reinforcing the hospitality-driven culture that defines the Shake Shack brand.

From the outset, NELSON served as a holistic and collaborative design partner, leveraging deep experience, long-standing relationships, and an intimate understanding of The Battery to accelerate progress at every step. The finished space delivers on its promise: a hub where Shake Shack’s brand comes to life through design, built through a trusted partnership that focused on brand alignment and design excellence, accelerated decisions, removed friction, and moved the project from vision to reality with uncommon speed.