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It doesn't seem right to put Shake Shack into the mix. Far fewer locations can mean greater top-down quality control; plus, their pricing is so much greater than the other restaurants that it seems SS should be put into a different category of burger restaurants; more on a par with Fuddrucker's, perhaps (though I'm not comparing the two). The wait, the concept, etcetera. Wait until SS has 500+ locations, or even 100+ spread out over multiple states, and then compare. Also, mightn't it have been better to get burgers from a few different locations of each restaurant, in order to measure consistency? And if you chose the SS from Madison Square Park, but didn't get a 5 Guys from its original location in VA (or INO from wherever its original location is--what, Fresno?), then that also skews the competition. Is SS really going to continue getting la Frieda beef as it expands? I'm sure they'll continue to choose a local high-quality vendor, but undoubtedly the experience will vary greatly. I mean, who are they going to use in Dubai?
While I don't doubt the beef is the prime mover of the sandwich, as others have noted, isn't it about the total experience? If beef was the main mover for the voters, then why not just have the basic sandwich: meat and bread. Why bother with the toppings at all?
Other things missed about the experience are the actual stores themselves; I've had far better staff dealings in INO then at the other two restaurants. SS are mechanical, smiling because they have to, and are mostly cursory and act as if the question one is asking is yet another reason to hide the rolling of their eyes. 5 Guys, forget it. May as well be McDonalds. But INO, the staff seems truly happy to be where they are working (privately owned, paid far above minimum wage, health plans etcetera), and I've never come across cleaner restaurants (not just fast food). Not that I'm shilling for INO; undoubtedly absence makes the heart grow fonder. But I'm just not sure SS belongs in the same category. A 45 minute wait for a hamburger is hardly fast food.

Or as regards puff pastry, for that matter?

I'm not sure what I'm missing here, Zach! What is preventing you from going out to eat early? Unless I'm missing something, none of the restaurants mentioned (and presumably none on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at all) bar children! Restaurants already tend to open around 5:00 for dinner service, so I'm not sure what your point is! It doesn't sound like you're asking for anything special: early-bird menu, toys, crayons!?! So, please, explain to me, in further detail, your idea!