Shake Shack burgers will land at DFW Airport next year

Tarrant County will get its first Shake Shack restaurant in 2018, but unless you're getting on an airplane, you won't be able to order a burger.

Thursday, the board of DFW International Airport approved plans to build a Shake Shack in Terminal C with a target open date "sometime in 2018," according to Kelsey Rae Young, business communications specialist for the airport. The fast-casual joint will inhabit a 2,234-square-foot space near gate C6 and is expected to serve its usual array of burgers, fries, frozen custard and concretes, though a menu has yet to be solidified.

"We are constantly evaluating and doing research on what our customers need and want," says Young. "It was through this research we determined Shake Shack would be a good fit."

The Shake Shack at DFW Airport will be the third location in the region behind Uptown Dallas and Plano. The burger chain, which originated in New York City, joined the area's restaurant scene to much fanfare last year. The first customer at the Dallas restaurant arrived at 5 a.m. — nearly six hours before the doors opened — to get a meal.

DFW Airport has been stepping up its dining game in recent years, adding locally-based restaurant concepts such as Abacus and Gas Monkey Bar and Grill to serve travelers. Shinsei Asian restaurant and Flying Saucer beer bar are also expected to open in 2018 in Terminal D.