Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Grand Central Shake Shack Plans Held Up Thanks To Real Estate Fight
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 21, 2012
Modified Jul 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 21, 2012
Modified Jul 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last year, plans for a Shake Shack at Grand Central Terminal were confirmed and approved by the MTA. But the burger-and-shake temple hasn't been able to cater to commuters because the current tenant of the downstairs space, Mexican eatery Zocalo, is protesting its eviction notice.
According to Crain's New York, Zocalo owner Robert Shapiro "filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Shake Shack," claiming that the "bidding process [for retail space in Grand Central] is corrupted." Zocalo, has been on a month-to-month lease for many months now (its minimum annual rent is about $333,000/year), had submitted a bid for the space in early 2011, but Shake Shack's offer—$435,000/year for year one, increasing over 10 years to $567,000—was more attractive to the MTA because the board felt it would attract more business overall to the food area.
However, Zocalo contests that Shake Shack is a chain and shouldn't have been bidding, since it has 15 locations. The MTA told Crain's, "Zócalo is desperately pursuing any possible means to remain in possession of space it no longer has the legal right to occupy, contrary to the legal rights of the MTA and Shake Shack," and noted that a civil court found Zocalo to be unlawfully occupying the space.
Tagged
food fight
grand central terminal
MTA
real estate
shake shack
zocalo
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .