March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Danny Meyer is the man behind some of New York's finest restaurants. Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe, the Modern -- they're all his, along with a bunch more. Ask him about his successful businesses and you might be surprised.

Shake Shack, in Madison Square Park, is one of his proudest creations. It's so successful, he plans to open a second later this year. The new burger joint, on the corner of the city's 77th Street and Columbus Avenue, will mark the first time he's replicated one of his venues, which include Blue Smoke and Tabla.

Meyer isn't short on ideas about what makes the perfect burger, from the meat through the bun to the cheese. He's found they make for good business, as well as good eating. He estimates Shake Shack sells more than 1,000 burgers on a summer's day -- when lines stretch round the park -- and at least 200,000 a year.

``In almost 23 years as a restaurateur, I've never done the same thing twice,'' said Meyer, who turns 50 on March 14. ``But I have a huge hankering to do this one another time. We've thought about this for a number of years and we're finally structured in my company so that instead of just dreaming, we can do it.

``It's a nice business and there's no linen, there's no chef, there's no dining-room manager,'' he said. ``So you go, `What have I been doing in the fine-dining restaurant business all these years?''' Meyer declined to disclose profit figures for the burger business and wouldn't say if there will be any further branches.

Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group started Shake Shack in 2004, in cooperation with the park and the city. The shack was built with funds raised in a philanthropic campaign and then handed over to the park, which receives rent. The shack also serves as a training opportunity for jobless youngsters.

Lining Up

``Since we've opened Shake Shack, there have been 20 new places in New York alone that have looked at the lines there,'' Meyer said. ``And they've gotten off the mark already, sometimes with a second and a third location. So I'm the slowest guy in the sun.'' Meyer said his team has looked at Chicago and he's had approaches from as far as Tokyo. He wouldn't give details.

The second branch will be in a space -- across from the Natural History Museum -- that for years housed the Museum Cafe and then Jacques-Imo's NYC, Union Square Hospitality Group said today in an e-mailed press release.

What makes for a great burger? Meyer reckons that depends on the mood of the diner. One day it might be a small patty, the next a monster you eat with both hands, the juices running down. Then there is the type of bun, the selection of meat, the amount of fat, the ratio of burger to bread, the cheese, the cooking method.

Where would Meyer go for a great burger if not to one of his own restaurants?

Gourmet Burgers

``There's the style of burger that's in the JG Mellon school and there's a place down here I like called Old Town Bar on 18th Street,'' he said. ``Corner Bistro's in that same style too. And then there's the whole other school of gourmet burgers. That's not the way we go. My favorite fast-food model growing up in St. Louis was Steak 'n Shake.''

Shake Shack serves griddled four-ounce patties. (That's partly because smaller burgers are less likely to encourage specific cooking orders, such as medium rare, which would slow service.) The meat is a mixture of sirloin, brisket and chuck. The cheese is American. Meyer holds strong views on cheese.

``My personal favorite cheese for a burger is American cheese,'' Meyer said in the interview at his Eleven Madison Park restaurant on Feb. 26. ``I've got three-star Michelin taste but when it comes to burgers, I want American cheese on my burger.

``I have granted that Union Square Cafe uses cheddar, and granted that Blue Smoke gives you a choice of cheddar or American, but I have no interest in putting blue cheese on my burger. I have no interest in putting Swiss cheese on my burger. I have no interest in putting Monterey Jack cheese on my burger.''

(Richard Vines is London food critic for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 5, 2008 06:25 EST