Maine has long been home to some of the largest and most popular fast food franchises in America. From McDonald's to Subway to Taco Bell and beyond.

The Pine Tree State still has room to grow when it comes to some other quick service franchises. Maine just saw the first Blaze Pizza location open in Scarborough. Playa Bowls is set to open its first Maine location as part of Rock Row in Westbrook soon as well.

But there's another fast food giant ready to grow even faster and Maine is almost assuredly in its sights.

Shake Shack Plans a Massive Nationwide Expansion

Just over two decades old, burger chain Shake Shack has revamped their plans for expansion because of their overwhelming popularity. Shake Shack currently 329 restaurants across the country, including 16 in Massachusetts.

Shake Shack Reports Quarterly Earning That Beat Expectations, But Company Dampers Outlook
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According to MassLive.com, Shake Shack has announced plans to add more than 1,000 locations across the country. That will likely include multiple Maine locations since the chain has found terrific success in New England so far.

Shake Shack Was Once Rumored to be Coming to Portland

In the spring of 2023, rumors swirled around Portland that Shake Shack was preparing to open a location in Maine's largest city.

Shake Shack Restaurant In Texas
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As it turns out, it was a case of miscommunication. Shake Shack had planned to open a new location that spring in Portland, Oregon, not Portland, Maine.

How Soon Could a Shake Shack Open in Maine?

The answer to that isn't quite clear. Shake Shack's expansion is expected to be aggressive thanks to strong revenue and demand for their product. Similar to a chain like Chic-fil-A, it's reasonable to believe Maine will have its first Shake Shack location within the next year or two.


 

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