Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be room for another burger franchise, along comes Smashburger, the wildly successful burger chain that has opened nearly 200 restaurants in the last five years.
And, though the company’s name was inspired by the unique way its Angus beef patties are “smashed” on a hot grill, the company’s rise to success has been based on a more traditional entrepreneurial formula. Company founder Tom Ryan and CEO David Prokupek saw an opportunity to build a better burger and they took it.
“Hamburgers overall are among the biggest and most competitive food market in the United States,”Prokupek said. “More money is being spent by McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King advertising hamburgers than is being spent on any other food brand, probably in total.”
Despite all the competition that exists in the world of burgers, Ryan and Prokupek felt they could succeed by catering to the “better burger market.” Since opening in 2007, the pair has been proved right consistently. Today, there are around 160 Smashburger restaurants open, all but two of which are in the United States.