Shake Shack Filing Sign Permit for South College Avenue Location in Fort Collins
Shake Shack is preparing to open its first Fort Collins restaurant at 3400 S College Ave, Suite 130, according to a sign permit filed with the city.
The New York-based fast-casual chain specializing in premium burgers, crinkle-cut fries and frozen custard has contracted Apex Signs & Graphics of Fort Collins to install signage at the midtown retail location. Nate Zimmerman of Apex Signs serves as the primary licensed professional on the project.
The Fort Collins location would mark Shake Shack's first restaurant in Northern Colorado.
The 3400 South College address sits within a commercial retail corridor between Prospect Road and Horsetooth Road that Fort Collins planning documents describe as the city's "midtown" retail district. The area features national chains, restaurants and service businesses in multiple shopping centers anchored by Foothills Mall.
Shake Shack Background
Shake Shack was founded in New York City in 2004 and has built its brand on fresh, high-quality ingredients served in a modern, urban atmosphere. The publicly traded company's menu centers on burgers, crinkle-cut fries, frozen custard and milkshakes.
The chain's expansion strategy focuses on high-visibility, high-traffic retail districts, often near malls or prominent commercial corridors. Colorado locations have concentrated in the Denver metro area, with the company now moving into university and suburban markets across the state.
South College Corridor Context
The South College Avenue corridor developed primarily after World War II as an auto-oriented commercial district, according to Fort Collins historic preservation surveys. The area from Prospect to Horsetooth features strip centers and large-format retail developments characteristic of mid-century and late 20th-century commercial construction.
The property sits near Colorado State University's main campus approximately two miles to the north, with residential subdivisions bordering the commercial zone to the east and west.
Fort Collins has seen multiple restaurant and retail businesses file permits in recent months, including J.R. Crickets wing restaurant on Taft Hill Road and Japon Express on East Harmony Road.
Apex Signs & Graphics operates from 505 N Link Lane #2 in Fort Collins, providing commercial signage design, fabrication and installation services for retail, service and institutional clients across Northern Colorado.
No opening date has been announced for the Shake Shack restaurant. The sign permit remains active with Fort Collins' building department.