Registry · SHAK
Does Shake Shack Inc. support Israel?
Yes — Shake Shack Inc. has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.
Filed under: Fast food & restaurant chains · Companies that support Israel
Background
Viral calls to boycott Shake Shack spread in early 2024 after its first Israeli restaurant opened in Tel Aviv during the Gaza war, with widely shared posts implying the opening was a wartime statement of support. The record is narrower: the licensing deal was announced in April 2023, months before the war began, as part of routine international expansion, and the Israeli Shacks are owned and operated by local licensees (Fox Group and Yarzin Sella), not by Shake Shack Inc. Responding to the boycott calls, the company told Newsweek it does 'not support governments or groups engaged in this or any conflict' and condemned 'all forms of violence and suffering.' No fact-checker or financial record substantiates claims that Shake Shack or founder-chairman Danny Meyer donated to the Israeli government or military; Meyer's connection — a Jewish restaurateur who in 2017 said he had no plans to open in Israel before the 2023 deal — is personal background, not a corporate action.
Newsweek (boycott calls and company statement) The New Arab (boycott calls) St. Louis Jewish Light (Danny Meyer's earlier stance) JTA (April 2023 licensing announcement)
Documented support
| Type | Date | Amount | Recipient | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations in Israel | 2024-02 | — | Shake Shack Israel (licensed market operated by Fox Group and Yarzin Sella) Shake Shack entered Israel as a licensed market: in April 2023 the company announced a development agreement with Harel Wizel, CEO of Israeli fashion-retail group Fox Group, and the Yarzin Sella restaurant group, and its first Israeli Shack opened next to Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv in late February 2024, with at least 15 branches planned across the country over the next decade. The restaurants are owned and operated by the Israeli licensees — not by Shake Shack Inc., which collects licensing fees — and the company's shareholder letters log further licensed openings (Kiryat Ono, October 2025) and cite Israel among the new markets driving growth in its licensed business. |
Frequently asked questions
Did Shake Shack Inc. donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?
We have no records of cash donations, but Shake Shack Inc. has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel). See the records on this page.
Where does this information come from?
Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 8 distinct sources are cited for Shake Shack Inc.. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.
Sources & citations
Record last updated: 2026-07-21
- Shake Shack press release via Nasdaq ('Yalla, Tel Aviv! Shake Shack Is Israel Bound') nasdaq.com
- Times of Israel (Tel Aviv opening) timesofisrael.com
- SEC EX-99.2 Q1 2024 shareholder letter (Dizengoff, Tel Aviv licensed opening) sec.gov
- SEC EX-99.2 Q4 2025 shareholder letter (Israel as licensed growth market) sec.gov
- Newsweek (boycott calls and company statement) newsweek.com
- The New Arab (boycott calls) newarab.com
- St. Louis Jewish Light (Danny Meyer's earlier stance) stljewishlight.org
- JTA (April 2023 licensing announcement) jta.org