What is the guidance for the fourth quarter comps 
ernational business and the license segment. As you continue to grow there and your partners do, obviously, there's the near-term challenges with COVID. But is there a point in the longer term where you see density get to a point where you can actually have a step change in the level of development, particularly in markets where you have a lot of white space like China?
Randy Garutti -- Chief Executive Officer and Director
Yes. We're obviously really excited about Asia generally, especially China. We've had just incredible starts there. I noted that Hangzhou, which is a new city, which is a smaller -- I mean smaller by China relative terms, but a very major city in the world outside of Shanghai, where we've had a tremendous start. And we have still just very few Shacks in China, but we're going to keep growing there. So look, we want to focus on the most important markets. And we're also really proud of our mature markets like the Middle East where we have a huge business, like the U.K. where we have a number of great restaurants that are still recovering. So look, we got our eyes on a big global license opportunity and domestic license opportunity that we noted. And we love this part of our business. It's really asset-light, cash accretive and brand exciting. So everything about it is an important and exciting piece of our business. We can't wait to keep growing it.
Patrick -- Stifel -- Analyst
Great, thanks guys.
Operator
Our next question is from David Tarantino with Baird.
David Tarantino -- Baird -- Analyst
Hi, good afternoon, Katie, just a quick clarification on the guidance for the fourth quarter comps. Can you give some perspective on what that would imply for a two year comp or, I guess, a comp versus 2019? I guess the number I would calculate would be different given the fiscal period shift. So just wondering what that would be.
Katie Fogerty -- Chief Financial Officer
Yes, we're not going to go into that again. 4Q '19 had a lot of different -- it had a lot of noise in it, and we have the 53rd week adjustment we've made here. So I feel very good about the guidance that we've given you, and that's as much detail as we're going to get into. On the back of that comment, though, I do want to clarify, the guidance that we're providing you for 4Q on Shack sales and on our same-store sales guidance, that is using the trends that we are seeing today and expecting that those trends will continue with normal historical seasonality patterns to help kind of address that point.
David Tarantino -- Baird -- Analyst
Okay. That essentially answers the question. And then, Randy, I just wanted to ask, what do you think the ultimate solution is for the staffing issues? Do you think it's just much higher wage rates? Or do you think, I guess, something else related to the employment proposition is necessary? I guess what -- as you think about your long history in the industry, I'd be curious to get your thoughts on that question.
Randy Garutti -- Chief Executive Officer and Director
That is such a deep -- we're going to need a lot more time for that one. And I think I'm not sure I'm going to answer that for the world's challenges right now. Look, there's such a host of things that are causing this, and I think it's probably nine or 10 different things. I'm not going to name one or the other. They're all included, all leading toward, I believe, ultimately, we have to be the best employer in our industry. I do believe the restaurant business is an incredible occupation. I've lived it my whole life, and I have seen how many people we have lifted from entry-level jobs into leadership jobs across the country. And the restaurant business is not for everyone, but it is for a lot of people. And we've got to keep focusing on that. I do think time will be a heal for this as well. I do think we have to get people. I do think we'll continue to return to the workforce. I believe we've got to be leaders there. And we've got to give people reasons to join Shake Shack instead of somewhere else. Part of that is pay, part of that is leadership develo
ernational business and the license segment. As you continue to grow there and your partners do, obviously, there's the near-term challenges with COVID. But is there a point in the longer term where you see density get to a point where you can actually have a step change in the level of development, particularly in markets where you have a lot of white space like China?
Randy Garutti -- Chief Executive Officer and Director
Yes. We're obviously really excited about Asia generally, especially China. We've had just incredible starts there. I noted that Hangzhou, which is a new city, which is a smaller -- I mean smaller by China relative terms, but a very major city in the world outside of Shanghai, where we've had a tremendous start. And we have still just very few Shacks in China, but we're going to keep growing there. So look, we want to focus on the most important markets. And we're also really proud of our mature markets like the Middle East where we have a huge business, like the U.K. where we have a number of great restaurants that are still recovering. So look, we got our eyes on a big global license opportunity and domestic license opportunity that we noted. And we love this part of our business. It's really asset-light, cash accretive and brand exciting. So everything about it is an important and exciting piece of our business. We can't wait to keep growing it.
Patrick -- Stifel -- Analyst
Great, thanks guys.
Operator
Our next question is from David Tarantino with Baird.
David Tarantino -- Baird -- Analyst
Hi, good afternoon, Katie, just a quick clarification on the guidance for the fourth quarter comps. Can you give some perspective on what that would imply for a two year comp or, I guess, a comp versus 2019? I guess the number I would calculate would be different given the fiscal period shift. So just wondering what that would be.
Katie Fogerty -- Chief Financial Officer
 Yes, we're not going to go into that again. 4Q '19 had a lot of different -- it had a lot of noise in it, and we have the 53rd week adjustment we've made here. So I feel very good about the guidance that we've given you, and that's as much detail as we're going to get into. On the back of that comment, though, I do want to clarify, the guidance that we're providing you for 4Q on Shack sales and on our same-store sales guidance, that is using the trends that we are seeing today and expecting that those trends will continue with normal historical seasonality patterns to help kind of address that point.
David Tarantino -- Baird -- Analyst
Okay. That essentially answers the question. And then, Randy, I just wanted to ask, what do you think the ultimate solution is for the staffing issues? Do you think it's just much higher wage rates? Or do you think, I guess, something else related to the employment proposition is necessary? I guess what -- as you think about your long history in the industry, I'd be curious to get your thoughts on that question.
Randy Garutti -- Chief Executive Officer and Director
That is such a deep -- we're going to need a lot more time for that one. And I think I'm not sure I'm going to answer that for the world's challenges right now. Look, there's such a host of things that are causing this, and I think it's probably nine or 10 different things. I'm not going to name one or the other. They're all included, all leading toward, I believe, ultimately, we have to be the best employer in our industry. I do believe the restaurant business is an incredible occupation. I've lived it my whole life, and I have seen how many people we have lifted from entry-level jobs into leadership jobs across the country. And the restaurant business is not for everyone, but it is for a lot of people. And we've got to keep focusing on that. I do think time will be a heal for this as well. I do think we have to get people. I do think we'll continue to return to the workforce. I believe we've got to be leaders there. And we've got to give people reasons to join Shake Shack instead of somewhere else. Part of that is pay, part of that is leadership develo