Shake Shack is preparing to open its first Forsyth County restaurant, choosing one of west Forsyth’s busiest commercial intersections for its local debut.

A permit filed with Forsyth County identifies the restaurant as part of Southard Exchange, a new commercial development at the corner of Bethelview and Castleberry roads in Cumming. The filing was first reported by Forsyth County News. An opening date and construction schedule have not been announced.

The location places Shake Shack in the middle of an established residential corridor that has steadily added shopping, restaurants and services as west Forsyth has grown. The intersection already sits between Kroger- and Publix-anchored shopping centers, giving the future restaurant access to customers who regularly pass through the area for groceries, schools, parks and daily errands.

A New Restaurant Cluster at Southard Exchange

Southard Exchange is being developed across approximately 16 acres and was approved with space for five drive-thru businesses. Construction began moving vertically this spring after years of planning and site preparation.

Shake Shack will join a lineup that includes Chick-fil-A, 7 Brew Coffee, Fifth Third Bank and Maepole, an Athens-based fast-casual restaurant specializing in customizable bowls with vegetables, grains and proteins. Additional retail, medical and grocery-oriented space has also been marketed for the project.

The collection of tenants gives Southard Exchange a different profile from a conventional neighborhood strip center. Chick-fil-A and Shake Shack are nationally recognized restaurant brands, while 7 Brew has been expanding rapidly through small, drive-thru-focused coffee shops. Maepole brings a healthier fast-casual option that remains relatively unfamiliar to many Forsyth diners.

Together, they could turn the intersection into a significant food-and-retail stop for residents traveling between the Bethelview corridor, downtown Cumming, Midway and the neighborhoods surrounding Post and Castleberry roads.

What the New Shake Shack May Look Like

Final building details have not been released, but the development’s layout points toward a freestanding restaurant with a drive-thru rather than the walk-up or shopping-center format found at some older Shake Shack locations.

The company now actively seeks suburban drive-thru properties with strong visibility, outdoor dining space and dedicated areas for mobile and curbside pickup. Its Alpharetta restaurant on Haynes Bridge Road follows that newer model, with a drive-thru, patio seating and a separate pickup lane.

Forsyth customers can expect the chain’s familiar menu of ShackBurgers, chicken sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, frozen custard and hand-spun shakes. Location-specific menu items or local partnerships have not been announced.

Why West Forsyth Is Attracting Larger Brands

The arrival of Shake Shack reflects how quickly west Forsyth is moving beyond its former identity as a mostly residential edge of the county.

Forsyth County’s population reached an estimated 282,805 in 2025, an increase of more than 31,000 residents since the 2020 census. That growth has created a larger customer base for restaurants that once concentrated primarily around Alpharetta, Buckhead, Perimeter and central Atlanta.

Shake Shack itself is in an aggressive expansion period. The company entered 2026 with 373 company-operated restaurants and said it expected to open another 55 to 60 during the year. Its Georgia locations currently include Alpharetta, Athens, Buckhead, Perimeter Mall, West Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, The Battery and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.