Smashburger facts for kids
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Trade name
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Smashburger |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual restaurant |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Rick Schaden & Tom Ryan |
| Headquarters | , |
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Number of locations
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227 (220 in the United States, 7 in Canada) (2025) |
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Area served
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United States Canada Costa Rica El Salvador Panama Saudi Arabia United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Tom Ryan (CEO) |
| Products | Hamburgers, Chicken sandwiches, Salads, French fries, Shakes, Soft drinks |
| Revenue | $338.3 million (2016) |
| Parent | Independent (2007–2018) Jollibee Foods Corporation (2018–present) |
Smashburger is a popular American fast-casual hamburger restaurant chain. It was started in Denver, Colorado. As of 2022, Smashburger has over 227 restaurants. You can find them in 35 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 2 Canadian provinces.
The company was founded in 2007 by Rick Schaden and Tom Ryan. They are experts in the restaurant business. Smashburger is known for its special "smashed" burgers. These burgers are cooked on a very hot flattop grill. This cooking method makes the burger flavorful. Customers can also choose many different toppings to make their burger unique. The menu also includes chicken, turkey, and portobello mushroom sandwiches. They also offer sides like french fries, sweet potato fries, and fried pickles. Some locations even have gluten-free buns.
Smashburger grew very quickly after it first opened. Many new restaurants were added in just a few years. In 2015, a company from the Philippines called Jollibee Foods Corporation bought a big part of Smashburger. By 2018, Jollibee owned 100% of the company.
Contents
Smashburger's Story
How Smashburger Started
Smashburger was created in 2007 by two people who knew a lot about the fast food world. Tom Ryan had helped create the stuffed crust pizza for Pizza Hut. He also worked for McDonald's. Rick Schaden used to own Quiznos. They started Smashburger with a company called Consumer Capital Partners.
They wanted to create a new type of burger restaurant. It would offer higher-quality hamburgers, like other "better burger" places such as Shake Shack. Tom Ryan said they chose the name "Smashburger" because it sounded like something made by hand. It also sounded fresh and a bit edgy for younger people. Tom Ryan even has a special degree in how flavors and smells work!
They spent six months making the perfect kitchen. They designed it so cooks could work quickly and easily. The special "smashing" technique helps them cook burgers fast. They use flattop grills, not charbroilers. They also tasted 300 kinds of beef before choosing Angus beef.
Growing Across the World
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The first Smashburger opened in Denver in June 2007. Then, they opened restaurants in Houston and Minneapolis. They focused on letting customers customize their food. They also made sure the ingredients were fresh. Their first slogan was "Smash, sizzle, savor." Later, it changed to "Smashed Fresh. Served Delicious."
By the end of 2011, Smashburger had 143 locations. Half of these were owned by other people as franchises. They even planned to open restaurants in airports in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. By 2013, they had 170 locations worldwide. This grew to 312 stores by early 2015. By mid-2017, there were 380 locations in 38 U.S. states and nine countries.
Smashburger's success showed that people wanted better quality burgers. Even though Smashburger's burgers cost more, they became very popular. This even affected big fast food chains like McDonald's.
Becoming Part of Jollibee
By 2013, Smashburger was doing so well that people thought it might become a public company. But in October 2015, Jollibee Foods Corporation bought 40% of Smashburger for $100 million. Jollibee is a large fast-food company from the Philippines. Smashburger's CEO said this would help the company grow steadily.
After this, Smashburger started more advertising. They also launched a rewards program called Smash Pass. This program lets customers get special deals. They also added new items like a turkey burger and tater tots.
However, Smashburger faced some challenges. People started shopping less in malls where many restaurants were located. Also, bigger restaurant chains started offering better quality food. This made it harder for Smashburger to keep growing sales at its existing stores. In 2018, Jollibee bought the rest of Smashburger. This helped Smashburger expand more, especially in southeast Asia.
Smashburger Restaurants
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Smashburger chooses new restaurant locations carefully. They often open near major college campuses. Sometimes, they even open shops directly on campus. They also have locations in casinos and busy airports. A typical Smashburger restaurant makes a lot of money during meal times. The busiest ones can make millions of dollars a year.
The restaurants are designed to make customers feel good. They have a bright red color scheme and modern decor. Each location can be a bit different to fit the space. The inside has indirect lighting and photos of the local area. Customers order at a counter. Their food is brought to them in cool stainless steel baskets. They even get real silverware instead of plastic! The restaurants have different types of seating, including booths and outdoor patios.
Smashburger also has its own special music playlist. They want the music to be modern and energetic. But it still needs to be family-friendly. The music is chosen to appeal to people around 32 years old. It includes popular songs, older classics, and new international music. Even international locations play American-inspired music.
The company also tries to keep its employees happy. In 2011, they paid cooks $9 an hour, which was more than the minimum wage. Cooks can earn extra money for making orders quickly. Managers get bonuses for meeting sales goals and getting good customer reviews.
Awards and Recognition
Smashburger has won several awards. In 2011, Forbes magazine called it "America's Most Promising Company." It made that list again in 2014. In 2017, The Harris Poll named it the number 9 favorite burger restaurant in America.
Smashburger Menu
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Smashburger's menu mainly offers burgers, chicken sandwiches, and salads. Customers can choose many different toppings. They also have sides like french fries, sweet potato fries, fried onions, and fried pickles. Their "smash fries" are topped with rosemary and olive oil. Many sandwiches have a special "smash sauce." This sauce is made with mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and lemon juice. For dessert, they offer milkshakes made with Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
The chain tried offering breakfast for a while. But it didn't make enough money. Some special locations, like those in casinos, still serve breakfast.
The Special Burger Technique
Smashburger burgers are made from fresh Angus beef. The beef is never frozen. It comes to the restaurants fresh every morning. Employees then divide the beef into loose meatballs by hand. The meatball has a special flavor and is seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic. The burger buns are also prepared carefully so they don't get soggy.
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Each burger is made fresh when you order it. The special "smashing" technique involves placing the meatball on a hot griddle. It's pressed hard with a special tool for 10 seconds. This flattens the burger and helps it cook quickly. It also locks in the juices, making the burger very flavorful. This technique lets them cook burgers in just three minutes!
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Smashburger also creates unique burgers for different cities. They talk to food suppliers to see what ingredients are popular in each area. For example, in Colorado, burgers have roasted green chiles. In Miami, they have grilled chorizo. In Boston, you might find a burger with onions and cranberry chutney. This makes each restaurant feel special and local.
Some health experts have pointed out that some Smashburger items are high in calories. For example, a large "BBQ Bacon and Cheddar" Smashburger has 1,050 calories. A "Chocolate Oreo Shake" has 950 calories. Smashburger now offers different burger sizes. You can choose from 1⁄4 pound (113 g), 1⁄3 pound (151 g), and 1⁄2 pound (227 g) sizes. This helps people who want smaller or healthier meals.
Local Drinks and Ingredients
Smashburger tries to get its ingredients from local suppliers when possible. For example, Chicago locations use Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce. Tennessee restaurants use Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce. They also use different types of buns in different cities. Telera rolls are used in California. Pretzel buns are in Chicago.
In 2012, Smashburger started a program to offer local craft beers. They partner with breweries in different regions. Each burger on the menu is paired with a specific local beer. This has made beer sales go up a lot in their stores. About 15% to 20% of all orders now include a beer. Some breweries they work with include Deep Ellum Brewing Co. in Dallas and Summit Brewing Co. in Minneapolis.
See also
- List of hamburger restaurants
