CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – A new Shake Shack location in The Shops at Stonefield opened Tuesday morning, welcoming customers eager to try the national chain’s burgers, shakes and fries – and offering some support to the local community.

The opening was attended by representatives from the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, attracting onlookers who quickly joined a line outside the building after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As part of a partnership with Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, a dollar will be donated to the food bank for every burger and chicken sandwich sold on opening day. Cathy Bagwell Marsh, BRAFB’s Head of Development and Community Engagement, said that the initiative could be crucial to helping the food bank grow their impact on the community as food prices continue to rise.

“The fact that you have chosen us to be the recipient means so much,” Marsh said. “One dollar, we can stretch it really far.”

The partnership aligns with Shake Shack’s “Stand For Something Good” mission, which started at the chain’s original location as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park.

Each dollar will provide around three meals for the food bank’s almost 200,000 guests per month.

“We’re able to source at cost and in really large quantities,” Marsh said. “The fact that they’re giving us a dollar for every burger or sandwich that they sell, that could be up to 3,000 meals today.”

Regional marketing manager Emily Allen noted the location’s potential for bringing people together, and that opening in June would help the location prepare for a potential influx of customers in the fall.

“I think we’re in a really great location here with our patio and next to the green space,” Allen said. “We’re really excited for the back-to-school season with all of the college kids. I think this is going to provide them with a really great option.”

The Charlottesville location comes as a part of an expansion across Virginia, joining other locations in Richmond, Short Pump and Midlothian.