Two of a kind

Shake Shack branches out in San Antonio with new Broadway location

San Antonio's burger wars are heating up with a new location of Shake Shack.

Courtesy photo

Been craving Shake Shack’s frozen custard or crinkle cut fries? Soon San Antonians will have two places to indulge. A second location of the cult New York chain is opening at 3003 Broadway St., just steps away from Brackenridge Park.

Kristyn Clark, brand communications senior manager for Shake Shack, confirms to CultureMap that the eatery will be opening in early 2019. That is a delay from the original projected date shown on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation permits, which stated the build-out would wrap up sometime in August 2018.

The first San Antonio Shake Shack opened in August 2017 at 7427 San Pedro Ave. in the Park North Shopping Center. As with all of its locations, the company debuted a few menu items that were exclusive to the region including the Lockhart Link Burger topped with Kreuz Market jalapeño cheese sausage and a pair of concretes — a frozen custard treat similar to a Dairy Queen Blizzard — featuring ingredients from local favorites Bird Bakery and The Granary ‘Cue & Brew.

Although Clark says details are still being worked out, guests can expect the same menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, flat-top hotdogs, and frozen treats as the other San Antonio shop.

Although a beer and wine permit does not appear to have been filed yet, Shack Shack also serves a custom ale from Brooklyn Brewery and wines made in partnership with Frog’s Leap. The rest of the drinks menu is rounded off by beers from local brewers like Alamo and Ranger Creek.

The Broadway eatery will also continue the company’s mission of giving back to the community. Five percent of proceeds from sales of its Pie Oh My concrete traditionally goes to a local nonprofit. The Park North location partners with the San Antonio Food Bank, but the new location’s beneficiary has yet to be announced.

Since opening its first Texas store in Austin in May 2015, Shake Shack has been in rapid expansion mode in the state. The Broadway location will be the company’s 10th location in the Lone Star State.

burgers openings

Here Comes the Sol

Rebranded San Antonio hotel debuts with new Cajun restaurant and cafe

Sol Cypress/marriott.com

Sol Cypress is celebrating its grand opening on March 19.

A San Antonio hotel has undergone an $11 million renovation over the past two years, and it's now ready to make it s debut. Sol Cypress, the first Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott in the city, will celebrate its grand opening with a public event on March 19.

Locals might have known the property at 103 9th St. as the Wyndham Garden Inn. Another Wyndham hotel was recently reopened as the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk.

The new hotel is named for the Texas bald cypress trees that grow along the San Antonio River, including one new tree planted on the hotel's back patio "as a symbol of renewal" according to a news release. The hotel's design was a collaboration between DTM Architects and Los Angeles-based KNA Design.

After renovations, the hotel now features 131 rooms, a park for "furry companions," 4,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and a private event space called The Tree House that overlooks the river and the skyline.

Most notable for locals, a new restaurant and a cafe are moving in. The restaurant is called Roam & Range, and it will deliver a menu based on local restaurateur Mori Bagheri's "deep San Antonio roots and global culinary experiences," says the release. Bagheri is best-known as the owner of Bourbon Street Seafood Kitchen, which occupied the space before Roam & Range — so this is a new concept with some of the same leadership.

Roam & Range Sol Cypress Roam & Range combines classic New Orleans dishes with other world influences.Sol Cypress/marriott.com

Roam & Range is currently sharing lunch and dinner menus online, featuring a mix of American and Mediterranean classics. Prior guests of Bourbon Street will still get to enjoy Cajun dishes like gumbo, étouffée, and seafood pastas with Cajun seasoning.

RiverRun Café will serve lattes, cappuccinos, and macarons made in-house.

Although it is now under the Marriott umbrella, the property is locally owned by Paradigm Management, which is led by John Feik, Jr., and Tim Sanford.

“As part of the Tribute Portfolio, Sol Cypress maintains its own distinct identity while benefiting from Marriott’s exceptional standards and worldwide reach,” said hotel general manager Ashley Cerney-Ciomperlik. “This allows us to craft truly unique guest experiences infused with the local culture and spirit of San Antonio.”

The release does not give times for the grand opening event, but does share that the public is welcome to explore the property.

hotels openings