Smashburger, the expanding better burger restaurant, today announced the recipients of its annual awards which were presented to seven deserving franchise groups and corporate leaders at the company's 2012 Conference held in Beavercreek, CO on September 13.
"We are pleased to honor this year's outstanding leaders who have operated above and beyond our expectations," said Dave Prokupek, chairman and CEO of Smashburger. "We are very thankful to have an abundance of outstanding partners across the globe whose accomplishments have helped fuel Smashburger's growth and success. We would like to applaud everyone's hard work, dedication and contributions and look forward to the next chapter in the brand's future."
This year's top awards recipients include:
Franchisee of the Year: Mascott Corporation's Scott Gillman is this year's recipient of the Franchisee of the Year Award. This award indentifies the franchise group that exemplifies excellence in all areas, demonstrating a drive for success, passion for the brand, extraordinary customer service and attention to detail. Mascott Corp. currently operates 10 Smashburger locations in Northern New Jersey.
Operator of the Year: Smashburger District Manager David Cannon received this year's Operator of the Year Award. This award celebrates the operator who sets the system standard for store-level execution by performing well on operating metrics, achieving consistent positive customer feedback and high marks on secret shops. David currently operates five Smashburger corporate locations in Sacramento, CA.
Rookie of the Year: Georgetown Advisors' Yousef Alessa and Khalid Haijar were honored with the Rookie of the Year Award. This award recognizes franchisees that opened in a new market and demonstrate leadership in launching the brand, hiring great talent and training strong team members to introduce Smashburger into the new communities they serve. Georgetown Advisors operates Smashburger's first international franchise location in Kuwait, KW.
Leadership Award: SunWest Burger's David Doty, Chuck Riske, Kurt Riske and Robin Yoshimura were awarded the 2012 Leadership Award. This award recognizes franchisees who celebrate people as the most valuable asset. Leadership Award recipients focus on recruiting, training and retaining the best team. SunWest Burger currently operates 10 Smashburger locations in Phoenix, AZ.
Developer of the Year: SoCal Eats' Tom Elkins and David Whisenhunt are this year's recipients of the first annual Developer of the Year Award. This award recognizes the franchisees that not only open great restaurants, but do so by understanding the local market and continuing to execute on development strategies which build brand awareness, consumer acceptance and loyalty. SoCal Eats currently operates 11 Smashburger locations in San Diego, CA.
Founder's Award: Smashburger's Director of Purchasing Jeremy Lyle was honored with the 2012 Founder's Award. This award recognizes the corporate or franchise leader that demonstrates the principles and values of the Smashburger brand while delivering results, demonstrating commitment to the brand and focusing unwaveringly on success.
Franchise Support Person of the Year: POS Administrator Jason Levinson is the recipient of Smashburger's first annual Franchise Support Person of The Year Award. This award recognizes an individual as voted by the franchise community who is consistently responsive, proactive and goes above and beyond to support and sustain the franchise community.
