Harlem Shake
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Harlem Shake does
Harlem Shake is a privately held fast-casual restaurant company operating two company-owned locations in New York City — the original flagship at 100 W. 124th Street in Harlem (opened 2013) and a second site at 119 5th Avenue in Brooklyn's Park Slope (opened 2021). The legal entity is Harlem Shake® IPHC LLC, with a related franchising entity (Harlem Shake® Franchising LLC) supporting its franchise program. Founded by Jelena Pasic and Emil Radoncic, the company employs approximately 20 staff and serves local residents, tourists, families, and corporate/event catering clients.
Harlem Shake firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harlem Shake
- Legal name
- Harlem Shake® IPHC LLC
- Website
- https://harlemshake.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harlem Shake industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast Casual Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Chicken & Wings QSR (THAFAAAC)
Keywords
Where Harlem Shake is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Harlem Shake business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in and Takeout Food Sales: Sale of smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fries, sides, and organic milkshakes at two NYC restaurant locations.
- Catering Services: Burger and milkshake catering for corporate events, birthday parties, school events, and community gatherings up to 75 people with delivery throughout NYC metro area.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, hats, puzzles, candles, mugs, and collectibles.
- Loyalty Program Revenue: Moolah rewards program generating customer loyalty through points earned on purchases, with rewards redemption for free food and drinks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Delivery Staff - Park Slope |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shift Lead - Harlem/Park Slope |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | FOH Team Member |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Line Cook |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | PM Dishwasher/Overnight Porter |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Harlem Shake product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Harlem Shake is a fast-casual restaurant brand serving signature smash burgers made with a custom Pat LaFrieda beef blend, organic milkshakes, fries and sides, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and a curated beer and wine list across its two New York City locations. The brand complements dine-in and takeout service with a catering program for off-premise events and an online merchandise store selling branded apparel and goods.
Product overview
Harlem Shake is a fast-casual restaurant brand operating two NYC locations (Harlem and Brooklyn Park Slope), offering a unified dining concept centered on smash burgers made with custom Pat LaFrieda beef blend, handcrafted organic milkshakes using Blue Marble Ice Cream and Organic Valley milk, crispy fries and sides, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and alcoholic beverages. The product portfolio centers on its core food and beverage offerings (Smash Burgers, Organic Handcrafted Milkshakes, Fries & Sides, Chicken Sandwiches & Hot Dogs, Beer & Wine) supplemented by ancillary services including Catering Services for events up to 75 people, Merchandise including branded apparel and novelty items, and the Moolah Rewards Program accessible via their mobile app.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Smash Burgers
- Organic Milkshakes
- Fries & Sides
- Chicken Sandwiches & Hot Dogs
- Beer & Wine
- Catering Services
- Branded Merchandise
- Moolah Rewards Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Featured in over 50 major publications including NY Times, Eater, Forbes, The Infatuation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Harlem Shake
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Harlem Shake technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Harlem Shake partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- HRLM Champagne (Harlem Heritage)minorCo-owned champagne brand with local Harlem lifestyle brand Harlem Heritage, co-owned by partner Dardra. Offered as 'Bougie Sparkly' option on menu.
- DarDra's Parmesan Truffle FriesminorNamed partnership product featuring DarDra Coaxum's involvement in seasonal truffle fries offering with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, parsley and white truffle oil.
- City HarvestminorCharitable food rescue organization partner; participated in 'Summer in the City' events and ongoing support
- Central Park ConservancyminorProud partner of Central Park Conservancy environmental initiative
- Apollo TheatercoreMajor cultural institution partner; located near Harlem Shake location; featured in Wall of Fame
- Harlem Children's ZoneminorCommunity organization supported through charitable giving and Miss Harlem Shake charity donations
- UNCF (United Negro College Fund)minorEducational nonprofit supported through charitable giving
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureminorCultural institution partner supported through charitable giving and Miss Harlem Shake 2025 charity selection
- Street Corner ResourcesminorNonprofit organization selected by Miss Harlem Shake 2022 and 2026 winners for $500 donations
- Children's Aid SocietyminorCharitable nonprofit supported through annual Mr./Miss Harlem Shake competition donations
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Harlem Shake competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- In-N-Out Burger: Iconic West-coast private burger chain known for premium sourcing. Useful premium-burger and private-company comparable for unit economics and brand-equity benchmarks.
- Wahlburgers: Celebrity-driven premium burger chain with franchise model and branded hospitality. Comparable on community-driven branding and franchise-led expansion path.
- Smashburger: National franchise-focused smash burger chain. Comparable on signature smash-cookery technique and franchise-led growth ambitions.
- Sweetgreen: NYC-founded fast-casual chain that scaled nationally via tech-forward loyalty and elevated sourcing. Useful adjacent comparable on NYC-roots fast-casual to franchise/IPO trajectory.
- Five Guys: National premium-burger QSR with broad menu and counter-service model. Comparable burger-focused QSR set against which Harlem Shake competes for premium positioning and catering volume.
Direct peers
- Au Cheval: Cult-following smash burger and milkshake concept rooted in Chicago. Comparable on smash-burger craft, signature shakes, and chef-driven premium positioning.
- Black Tap: NYC-based craft burger and milkshake concept famous for over-the-top shakes. Closest peer on burger-plus-signature-shake positioning and Manhattan/specialty burger competitive set.
- Burger Joint: NYC burger institution serving smash-style burgers in a casual setting. Comparable neighborhood burger bar positioning and NYC-centric footprint.
- Bareburger: NYC-based organic-ingredient burger chain with multiple borough and franchise locations. Comparable on premium/organic ingredient sourcing, smash-style burgers, and franchise expansion strategy.
- Shake Shack: NYC-born fast-casual chain centered on premium burgers, crinkle fries, and frozen custard shakes. Most comparable peer on product mix (smash-style burgers + premium shakes), urban location footprint, and growth-via-franchise expansion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Harlem Shake social profiles
Digital presenceHarlem Shake financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harlem Shake leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Harlem Shake funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Harlem Shake M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Harlem Shake
What does Harlem Shake do?
Harlem Shake is a fast-casual restaurant brand serving signature smash burgers made with a custom Pat LaFrieda beef blend, organic milkshakes, fries and sides, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and a curated beer and wine list across its two New York City locations. The brand complements dine-in and takeout service with a catering program for off-premise events and an online merchandise store selling branded apparel and goods.
Is Harlem Shake a public or private company?
Harlem Shake is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Harlem Shake founded?
Harlem Shake was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Harlem Shake based?
Harlem Shake is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Harlem Shake make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in and Takeout Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, merchandise Sales and loyalty Program Revenue.
Who are Harlem Shake's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are In-N-Out Burger, Wahlburgers, Smashburger, Sweetgreen and Five Guys. Direct peers are Au Cheval, Black Tap, Burger Joint, Bareburger and Shake Shack.
Does Harlem Shake have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harlem Shake.
What industry is Harlem Shake in?
Harlem Shake's product category is Fast Casual Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAA, Burger Fast Casual, with a secondary code of THAFAAAC, Chicken & Wings QSR. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.