Kansas, the line forms here: Shake Shack opens its doors in Leawood Town Center Plaza

Missouri lined up a year ago for Shake Shack’s entrance into the area market with a Country Club Plaza location. Will Kansas do the same in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza today?

Shake Shack, the New York-based burger chain with a cult-like following, will have its grand opening in the Sunflower State at 11 a.m.

The restaurant put up a new building with a patio at 5200 W. 119th St., the entrance to Town Center and former site of On the Border. The first 100 customers Thursday, line or not, will receive a custom Shake Shack hat from Made Mobb, a Kansas City-based streetwear brand.

Shake Shack was a leader in the “better burger” movement — fresh, never frozen.

The chain is known for its ShackBurger, a “better” burger made with 100 percent all-natural Angus beef, as well as chicken sandwiches (made with 100 percent all-natural cage-free chicken), flat-top 100 percent all-natural Vienna beef hot dogs (no hormones or antibiotics), crinkle-cut fries and cheese fries. Specialties include the ’Shroom Burger — a cheeseburger topped with a fried portobello mushroom.

Other menu items include the Cookie Crumble (vanilla custard, marshmallow sauce, cookie butter and crumbled sugar cone); S’Mores (chocolate custard, marshmallow sauce, graham crackers and Mast Brothers dark chocolate chunks); and Pie Oh My (vanilla custard blended with pieces of seasonal pie by Kansas City’s Ashleigh’s Bake Shop).

Shake Shack also will sell beers from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Co. and Raytown’s Crane Brewing, plus its exclusive Brooklyn Brewery ShackMeister Ale, and wine.

It has more than 230 locations in 26 states and the District of Columbia, including more than 70 international locations. Shake Shack entered the market with a location on the a year ago.

This story was originally published August 22, 2019 at 5:00 AM.