Good morning. Welcome to Shake Shack's 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to Rob Lynch, Shake Shack's Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the company's Board of Directors, and Ron Palmese, Shake Shack's Chief Legal Officer. Please go ahead.
Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Two years into my role, I'm thankful to be a part of this extraordinary company with exceptional people, powerful culture, and an unwavering commitment to enlightened hospitality. We greatly appreciate your interest in Shake Shack and for taking the time to join us today. I'd like to start by thanking our teams for their commitment and dedication this past year and thanking our stockholders for your continued support. At this time, I would also like to thank Josh Silverman, who has stepped down from our Board of Directors prior to this meeting, as previously announced, for his years of service on our board. As you have seen in our annual report to stockholders, in 2025, we grew total revenue by more than 15% and opened 85 new Shacks system-wide.
In our company-operated business, Same-Shack sales increased 2.3% and restaurant level profit margin expanded 120 basis points to 22.6%. We have important work to do this year to ensure the long-term success of our business. We have outlined our six strategic priorities for 2026: building a culture of leaders, optimizing restaurant and supply chain operations, driving comp sales through culinary marketing and digital innovation, building and operating our Shacks with best-in-class returns, accelerating our licensed business, and investing in long-term strategic capabilities. We're confident in our ability to execute our strategic priorities and deliver long-term stockholder value. I now turn the meeting over to Ron Palmese, our Chief Legal Officer, to conduct the formal business of this meeting. Ron?
Thank you, Rob. We are pleased to once again be holding our annual meeting virtually, which we believe provides our stockholders with the best opportunity to attend our annual meeting. Again, I'm joined by Rob Lynch, our Chief Executive Officer and member of the board, and Michelle Hook, our Chief Financial Officer. We are also joined by our director nominees, our other directors, and representatives from our registered accounting firm, Ernst & Young. Today's session allows our stockholders to participate in the meeting, regardless of their location. Not only can you view the meeting, you may also submit questions and vote your shares online before the polls close. We have allocated time after the adjournment of the formal part of the meeting for Q&A. There's a text box on your screen where you can submit your questions any time throughout the meeting.
If we are unable to get to your questions, you may always email us at investor@shakeshack.com. Before we begin, it is possible that some of this morning's comments or responses to your questions may contain forward-looking statements, including our expectations for this coming year, that are based on certain assumptions and that are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results to be materially different, including those set forth in our risk factors in our annual report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the SEC. Additionally, our remarks may contain non-GAAP information, including EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA. A reconciliation to the most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP can be found at the end of our earnings press releases, which are available on our website.
We have three items of business to conduct at today's meeting. They are, one, to reelect two of our directors as Class II directors. Two, to consider and act upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of our auditors as our independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year ending December 30, 2026. And three, to conduct an advisory vote on the compensation of Shake Shack's named executive officers. Momentarily, I will announce the opening of the polls as we call for a vote on the matters to be presented for your consideration at this meeting. After the votes are tallied and announced, we will adjourn the formal part of our meeting. The Board of Directors has appointed Peter Descovich of Broadridge to serve as our Inspector of Election. He is present at the meeting today.
As required by law, Mr. Descovich has taken and signed an oath as Inspector of Election. A certified list of the stockholders of record entitled to vote at today's meeting for purposes of sending the notice of meeting and proxy statement is available, and I have an affidavit from Broadridge attesting to the delivery of this notice. Mr. Descovich has advised me that a majority of the company's outstanding voting shares held of record as of the close of business on April 13th, 2026, the record date for this meeting, are represented at today's meeting in person or by proxy. I declare that a quorum is present and that we may proceed with the business of the meeting. Please remember that you may vote your shares online any time during this meeting prior to the closing of the polls.
We will now proceed to the voting on the items I described. It is approximately 9:05 A.M. Eastern Time, and the polls are now open for voting on each of the items of business. If you have previously voted by proxy and do not wish to change your vote, your vote will be cast as you previously instructed and no further action is needed. If you are a record holder and wish to change your vote, did not send in a proxy and wish to cast your vote now, or have not already cast your vote using our electronic voting system, you may cast your vote by electronic ballot at virtualshareholdermeeting.com/shack2026 at this or any time until the closing of the polls. You will notice a link to the voting site on your screen. Access to virtualshareholdermeeting.com/shack2026 requires a control number you received prior to the meeting.
As mentioned, the first order of business is the election of two directors. The following persons are nominated as directors: Rob Lynch and Tristan Walker. The second item is the proposal to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 30, 2026. The third item is to conduct an advisory vote on the compensation of the company's named executive officers. We will be closing the polls momentarily. You must submit your electronic ballot in order for your vote to be counted. The Inspector of Election will not accept votes submitted after the closing of the polls. Please note that any votes by electronic ballot submitted today will be subject to the final verification by the Inspector.
There being no further ballots, I hereby declare the polls are now closed at 9:06 A.M. Eastern Time for voting on the items of business. All electronic ballots and proxies are now in the custody of the Inspector of Election. We have received the preliminary tabulation of votes by our Inspector. All votes are subject to the final count certified by the Inspector. But based on the preliminary report, each of the persons nominated as a director received a plurality of the votes cast and is hereby elected as a Class II director of the company.
The resolution relating to the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 30, 2026 received the majority of the votes entitled to vote at the meeting and present in person or by proxy, and Ernst & Young is hereby approved as our accounting firm. The proposal to approve on an advisory basis the compensation of the company's named executive officers received the majority of the votes entitled to vote at the meeting and present in person or by proxy and hereby passed. Based on the vote, I declare that the proposals have been approved. It is now 9:07 A.M. Eastern Time, and I declare the formal business of today's meeting is concluded.
The company will report the final results on a Form 8-K filed with the SEC within four business days of today's meeting. This adjourns the formal part of our meeting. I would now like to open up the meeting to any questions