Speaker: Mr. Randy Garutti ’97, Chief Executive Officer
Shake Shack
Randy Garutti is the CEO of Shake Shack, a critically acclaimed, modern day “roadside” burger stand known for its community gathering experience, commitment to taking care of its team, premium ingredients and cult-like following around the world.
Shake Shack was born in 2001 as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park. Randy has led the company through significant expansion, growing to more than 200 locations worldwide in 13 countries and 27 U.S. states. In 2015, Randy took Shake Shack through its IPO. Today, Randy leads with the principles of enlightened hospitality, and continues to focus on performance, excellence, profitability and fostering Shake Shack as one of the world’s most beloved brands.
Prior to Shake Shack, Randy served as Director of Operations at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, overseeing the operations for all USHG restaurants before moving to Shake Shack full time in 2007. In addition, Randy served as General Manager of numerous acclaimed restaurants including Union Square Cafe and Tabla in NYC, Canlis in Seattle and Chart House Restaurants in Aspen & Maui.
Randy graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and studied at La Sorbonne in Paris.
In 2016, Randy was named one of Crain’s Top 40 Under 40 and in 2017 was included on Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Power List.
Randy serves on the board of Square Inc. and the Columbus Avenue Bid. He currently resides in New York City with his wife and three children.