She Believed Digital Could Feel Human — Now Shake Shack Proves It Daily

Steph So, Chief Growth Officer at Shake Shack, blends technology, creativity, and hospitality to shape how guests experience one of America’s most beloved fast casual brands. Through digital innovation and menu development, she has become a key leader driving Shake Shack’s modern growth.

Watch now to learn how Steph So blends hospitality with technology, why curiosity drives her decisions, and how Shake Shack keeps innovating without losing its soul.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[03:26] - What a Chief Growth Officer Really Does

[08:53] - Defining Digital Hospitality at Shake Shack

[10:37] - The GoPro Kiosk Experiment

[17:11] - The Second Mouse Theory for Restaurant Technology

[29:44] - Danny Meyer, the Dubai Shake, and Breaking Innovation Protocols

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Episode Links:

Steph So LinkedIn

Shake Shack

Shake Shack Instagram

Shake Shack TikTok

Shake Shack Facebook

Dubai Shake

Danny Meyer

Key Takeaways:

Digital Hospitality Builds Loyalty: Steph So believes technology should feel as warm and intuitive as a great team member, shaping Shake Shack’s app, kiosks, and digital channels into tools that anticipate guest needs rather than replace human connection.

Innovation Starts with Curiosity: From approving a GoPro experiment to rethink kiosk design to testing value programs. Steph encourages her team to study the guest perspective and build experiences grounded in real behavior, not assumptions.

Instinct Can Outrun Protocol: When Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer tasted the Dubai Shake abroad, he immediately pushed to bring it to the United States. Steph and her team broke their usual processes to move fast, showing how intuition and agility fuel Shake Shack’s most exciting menu moments.

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ABOUT STEPH SO —

As Chief Growth Officer at Shake Shack, Steph So oversees the company’s digital marketing and experience, promotional strategy, consumer analytics, and culinary innovation. Since joining the company in 2019, she has been a key driver of Shake Shack’s digital growth, leading major increases in digital sales, enhancing the Shack App and website, and developing impactful co-marketing campaigns with delivery partners. Before joining Shake Shack, Steph served as Chief Marketing Officer at Extend Fertility and Cover FX, where she built digital-first strategies and integrated marketing programs. Earlier in her career, she held roles at Ralph Lauren, Shopbop, and The Estée Lauder Companies, focusing on brand building across fashion, beauty, and e-commerce. Steph is a graduate of Stanford University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also a co-founder and board member of South Bronx United, a nonprofit supporting youth development, and serves as a mentor for Apex for Youth.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media