Shake Shack shrugs off trade war, opens outlet in Beijing

The New York burger brand opened its first restaurant in the Chinese capital on Wednesday in Beijing's TaiKoo Li, a shopping area popular among young people. Shake Shack opened its first restaurant in mainland China in Shanghai last year.

Antagonisms between China and the United States didn't stop Beijing's burger lovers from standing in line for hours for a bite of Shake Shack's snacks. The New York burger brand opened its first restaurant in the Chinese capital on Wednesday in Beijing's TaiKoo Li, a shopping area popular among young people.

Shake Shack opened its first restaurant in mainland China in Shanghai last year. Nearly 200 customers wound around the Beijing restaurant ahead of its 10:30 a.m. opening.

Yang Fan, 18, said she got to there at around 6 a.m. and was first in line. She said was impressed by the flavor a few years ago while on a study tour in the U.S.. “So when I heard about Shake Shack to open a restaurant in Beijing I was very excited. I came very early to queue up,” Yang said.

Shake Shack broke ground in the capital city at a time when U.S. business in China is facing growing uncertainty as friction grows between the world's two biggest economies. “Although we are Chinese, we should not discriminate against U.S. brands, because it (government-level tensions) have nothing to do with its people,” Yang said.

He Xiaolin, a financial worker waiting for his first try of a Shake Shack burger, agreed. “What we eat should not be politicized, as long as they are delicious,” He said.