PRESS KIT
Contact Information
Christine Ferris
Director of Public Relations
[email protected]
p: (303) 633-1553
Smashburger.com
The Smashburger Story
Company Headquarters
3900 East Mexico Ave, Suite 1200
Denver, CO 80210
Company Phone
303-633-1500
Company Website
Smashburger.com
Number of Units:
365
International Countries -7
Kuwait, Canada, El Salvador, Panama,
Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain
Number of International Locations:
23
We opened the first Smashburger in
2007 with one simple notion in mind:
to serve a better burger. We smashed
convention to deliver an all-in better
burger experience focused on fresh,
quality ingredients, a cool, hip
environment, and exceptional service
conducive to a busy modern lifestyle.
We’re proud to claim that
Smashburger is America’s fastest
growing better burger concept with
more than 365 corporate and
franchise restaurants in 37 states and
seven international countries.
Why We Smash
We believe that smashing is better.
Smashburger uses a proprietary
method of smashing and searing
Certified Angus Beef® onto a hot,
buttered grill, allowing the natural
juices to cook up through the burger
and not out of the burger, creating a
tremendous amount of caramelized
flavor – “Meat Candy.” Every burger is
smashed fresh and served delicious in
six minutes or less.
MENU HIGHLIGHTS
Smashburgers
The menu features 10 innovative burger combinations made with Certified Angus Beef®, or guests can create their own
burger, customizing the artisan bun, sauces, toppings and cheese. We also offer regional burgers in each of our markets,
which feature popular flavors and tastes from the area. Our most popular burger is:
The Classic Smash Burger: Features our famous Smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and American cheese
on top of a juicy, smashed-to-order burger made with 100% Certified Angus Beef®, sandwiched between an egg bun.
Smashchicken
The menu features 8 innovative chicken combinations, or guests can create their own chicken sandwich. Guests also have the
option to choose between juicy, smashed-to-order marinated grilled chicken or crispy chicken, including:
Avocado Club Chicken: Features fresh sliced avocado, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing and mayo
on a multi-grain bun.
Smashsalads
For friends looking to incorporate some added greens into their meal, our menu features 4 made-to-order salads, including:
Spinach & Goat Cheese Salad: Fresh spinach, goat cheese, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,
cucumbers, tomatoes & onions mixed with balsamic vinaigrette. Guests can choose to add tender marinated grilled or crispy
chicken.
Fries & Sides
Customers can pair any entree with irresistible sides, like seasoned fries, sweet potato fries or fried pickles, including:
Smash Fries: Our signature fries are hand tossed in Italian olive oil, rosemary & garlic.
Hand-Spun Shakes
Our premium handspun Häagen-Dazs shakes pair perfectly with any meal. Some of our delicious, innovative varieties include
Salted Caramel, Butterfinger and Oreo.
Kids Meal
We know how important it is to get kudus from the kiddos, so Smashburger’s menu features delicious options for the kid in
your life, including burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. We’ve also recently added a healthier kids option – grilled
chicken strips with a side of applesauce and organic drink. All of our kids’ meal items are served with fries & a kid’s fountain
drink.
Smash Facts
•
Smashburger was founded in June 2007 in Denver, Colorado. The first
restaurant is located in Glendale, CO.
•
Smashburger reached the 200 unit milestone faster than any other restaurant
concept in history, making it the fastest growing fast casual restaurant
concept in history.
•
Smashburger currently has over 365 locations opened across the globe and
plans to open another 6-80 restaurants each year over the next several years.
•
Smashburger currently operates restaurants in seven international countries:
Kuwait, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Costa Rica, Bahrain and El Salvador
and plans to open in Egypt and United Kingdom in 2016.
•
Smashburger is currently 55% Corporate and 45% Franchise
•
Smashburger uses fresh never frozen 100% Certified Angus Beef that is
smashed on a grill with a proprietary smashing tool – the smashing process
creates a sear on the bottom of the burger that creates a caramelized layer of
“meat candy”
•
Smashburger currently offers more than 49 different regional burgers across
the globe – a regional burger is a unique burger combination that is chosen in
each market across the country and is topped with ingredients that are
popular in the area.
•
Smashburger offers local craft beer in the majority of restaurants in which it
operates.
• Top Awards & Accolades
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2016 - #19 Consumer Picks – NATION’S RESTAURANT NEWS
2015 - #3 Fast & Serious list – FRANCHISE TIMES
2015 – Menu Master Award – NATION’S RESTAURANT NEWS
2014 - #1 Movers & Shakers List – FAST CASUAL
2014 - #2 Fast & Serious List – FRANCHISE TIMES
2014 – America’s Fastest Growing Companies – INC.
2014 - #6 America’s Post Promising Companies - FORBES
2013 – Small Brand Of The Year – FAST CASUAL MAGAZINE
2012 – Franchise 500 – Entrepreneur
2012 - #1 Top Movers & Shakers – FAST CASUAL MAGAZINE
2012 – The World’s Best Burgers – GOURMET MAGAZINE
2012 – Best Franchise Deals – QSR MAGAZINE
2012 - #9 Job Creator Award – INC.
2011 - Hot Retailer Award - ICSC
2011 – #1 America’s Most Promising Company – FORBES
Named Best Burger: Las Vegas, Boulder, Addison, Woodbury, San
Diego, Brooklyn, Tulsa, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Loveland, St. Louis,
Folsom, Kalamazoo and more.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/smashburger-spicy-cowboy-burger-video
We're kicking off National Burger Month the right way with Smashburger Co-founder and
Chief Brand Officer Tom Ryan as he unveils Smashburger's latest and greatest creation, the
Spicy Cowboy.
Inspired by the bold flavors of Texas, the Spicy Cowboy is the ultimate burger for heat
seekers who need a jalapeño punch in the face. Fully loaded with grilled garlic jalapeños,
melted aged cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, haystack onions, sweet n' smokey bbq
sauce, all on a butter toasted egg bun, we're drooling just thinking about it.
Watch Ryan and our own Dave Infante cook up the Spicy Cowboy below.
•
http://mashable.com/2016/03/16/irish-burger-smashburger/#1jeOtDWwemqg
•
http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/smashburger-acquisition-jollibeerestaurants.html
•
http://www.delish.com/food-news/a46025/why-you-should-be-smashingyour-burgers/
When the founder of the Colorado-based restaurant chain, Smashburger, told us the secret to
making a better burger is to smoosh the patty while it's cooking, we called BS. It goes against
everything you know to be true, reminding you of that drunk guy manning the grill during a Fourth
of July party—you know, the one who intermittently pours beer on the burgers while pressing them
against the grates, squishing out any juices until you're left with a graying puck of a meal.
There's a key difference, though, between that burger-bashing and the careful, precise smackdown
the chain's founder, Tom Ryan, advocates, and since the burger chain has been growing at a rate of
about 60 to 70 stores per year and shows no signs of stopping, we decided to take a closer look at
what makes the brand's beef stand out—and what you can do to make a better burger every time.
http://www.businessinsider.com/one-fast-food-burger-is-better-than-the-rest2016-5
http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/restaurants/chain-cheeseburgers-ranked-shakeshack-white-castle-and-more-1.11711545
http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-smashburger
Smashburger was founded in Denver in 2007.
•
If you’ve ever dined at Smashburger, the Denver-based burger chain with more than 350 locations
worldwide, you’ve probably noticed that it’s unlike any other chain out there. But did you know that its
founder also happens to be one of the most legendary figures in fast food history? We’re unloading 10 facts
you most likely didn’t know about this fast-growing chain.
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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Smashburger (Slideshow)
•
Smashburger was founded in 2007 by Tom Ryan, who, as an executive with Pizza Hut in the 1980s, brought
some of its most iconic products ever to the marketplace, and in the late ‘90s joined McDonald’s as
Worldwide Chief Concept Officer, where he spearheaded some of its most iconic products ever. He then took
his talents to Quiznos, where he rolled out even more iconic offerings (more on all of these later). That gave
Ryan and his business partner, Rick Schaden, an idea: Based on the knowledge they’d gained over the years,
they were confident that they could revolutionize the fast food burger scene.
•
“In the mid-2000s, people were becoming increasingly dispassionate about burgers, so we decided to create
a juicy and delicious burger and wrap it around a concept,” Tom told me when reached by phone. “We
started with a blank page, and the beauty of my experience in the industry was that I was able to observe
best practices and fatal flaws along the way. We could stop at every intersection and differentiate and be
relevant.”
•
Ryan recognized that “while there will always be a market for people looking for speed and low price, they
don’t want it at the expense of something they can crave and be passionate about.” So Ryan and Schaden set
out to create just that. “The modern customer is looking for food with a story, and the ability to connect with
what and where they’re eating,” he added.
•
The first Smashburger opened in Denver, and since then it’s been picking up a lot of steam. Burgers made via
their signature “smashing” technique, chicken sandwiches, salads, fries, shakes, and sides like fried pickles
and veggie frites are available, and many locations also serve beer. Its success captured the attention of
Philippines-based Jollibee last year, who acquired a 40-percent stake in the company, all but guaranteeing
that we’ll be seeing a lot more locations opening soon. Read on for 10 things you didn’t know about
Smashburger.
•
http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/ideas/social-media/smashburgeraims-capture-millennial-cool-snapchat
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29638278/brewpub-smashburger-headeddia-council-oks-concessions-contract
https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/smashburger-bolsters-casino-presence