The Shake Shack and the Busy Corner of Main & Benson

Few corners in Lexington have witnessed as much of the town's story as the corner of Main and Benson Streets. For more than 175 years, this intersection has served the community as a hardware store, a school, a hotel, a hatchery, a gas station, a dairy bar, and today, as one of Lexington's most beloved landmarks: The Shake Shack.

Hardware to Hospitality

The story begins early in Lexington history in 1851, when a two-story frame building was built on the corner of Main and Benson, just a block east of the train depot. The structure was built by the Lindsays for J.C. Mahan’s hardware store. 

In 1858, the building's upper floor was home to the first town High School. A subscription high school run by Mr. Anderson, offering courses in French, literature, and mathematics for $3 to $4.50 per ten-week session. As Lexington grew, the hardware store eventually relocated, and the Anderson building continued its educational role into the 1870s.

By the 1880s, it served as a boarding house for many years. In 1892, it was operating as the Karbaugh Hotel, where Samuel F. Karbaugh also operated under the Delmonico name. Here, he ran the establishment as a grocery and boarding house. In 1897, the building was moved south approximately ten feet, set on a new foundation, and fitted with a north-side veranda.

The hotel changed hands several times in the early twentieth century. By 1906 the building was operating as the Illinois Hotel, passing through several names before T.J. Kent was running it as the Kent Hotel by the 1920s. The Kent Hotel was a lively lodging house and apartment building.  Local chronicler Morris Jones documented its colorful characters and happenings, including the story that popular 20th century cartoonist Al Capp (of L’il Abner fame) visited and reportedly drew inspiration from Lexingtonians he met during his stay.

In 1926, the hotel era came to an end. A new tenant, Charles Peck, converted the building into the Lexington Hatchery. The doors opened in January 1927, with three Buckeye Mammoth Incubators and a capacity of 36,000 eggs. By 1929, the hatchery was relocated to Peck's brand new building next door, where Analytical Brewing now sits.

The Age of the Automobile

Route 66 was drawing travelers through Lexington, and the corner once again found its footing as a place of commerce. The gas station on the corner passed through a succession of operators over the following years: Lloyd Worth and Son, Joseph Girard, Ralph White, Larkin Pool, N.D. "Jim" Hanley, Allen Gleason, and Eldon Atkins, who kept the station running while Gleason served in World War II. When Gleason returned home in 1946, he resumed operations, but by April 1948 had moved on to his new Mobil station at 910 West Main. The building was eventually sold, and began a new chapter as a Dairy Bar.

The Birth of the Shake Shack

For the next several decades, the building operated as a dairy and convenience store under a series of owners, serving Lexington families through changing times. Hazel and Clarence McKeown ran a dairy store there by 1960, followed by Denzil and Lou Mays in 1970. Then, in 1985, Gail and Clyde Devore opened Devore Shake Shack, and the corner found the identity it carries to this day.

The Devores created the legacy that would endure for more than forty years across five ownership families. A friendly, local gathering place rooted in good milkshakes and good, fast, affordable local food. After a period of operation by Geri and David Stiles in the early 1990s, the Devores returned in 1995 and continued to invest in the business, adding the walk-up window and remodeling the interior.

A Route 66 Institution (2006–Present)

Ownership passed to Jay and Lorri Tyler and Matt Gaither in 2006, then to Becky Jacobs and her son Jason McKay in 2010, before current owners Amina and Arlind Alimi purchased the business in November 2014. The Alimis emigrated from North Macedonia in 2013, and when they saw The Shake Shack was for sale, they fell in love with the town and the idea of running a welcoming spot on Route 66 selling ice cream, burgers, and sandwiches. 

Their menu features customer favorites including burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and a particularly good Philly cheesesteak sandwich, along with soft-serve ice cream, sundaes, and malts. 

Over the years, the Shake Shack has become a magnet for Route 66 travelers, drawing visitors from all around the world, as well as generations of local families. The wood-paneled interior walls are filled with customer signatures, doodles, and even some poetry from local high school students and global travelers alike.

In 2026, the Alimis celebrated twelve years of continuous ownership, the longest single-family tenure in the Shake Shack era. The corner at Main and Benson, which has served Lexington in so many forms since 1851, continues its long tradition of welcoming neighbors and travelers.

(Note: The Shake Shack in Lexington is not affiliated with the national Shake Shack restaurant chain.)