Ask anyone who has been to Smashburger, and you will likely find a happy customer. A recent review of the burger joint stated that the restaurant brings service and value "that a person of my age appreciates." It just goes to show that the chain is reaching beyond the demographic of young males, and therefore must be doing something right.
Tom Ryan
Success stories are best illustrated by the people behind the success, and in this case founder Tom Ryan has the right pedigree for the job. He is an alum of successful chains Quiznos, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Long John Silver's. He is responsible for Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza, as well as "Mc-favorites" including McGriddles, the Big 'n Tasty, the Dollar Menu, and Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits. There's more, but you get the point, he is a star in the food industry.
Ryan attended Michigan State University, where he achieved a Ph.D in Flavor and Fragrance Chemistry, along with other food-related degrees. Ryan teamed up with Dave Prokupek, an operations guy, in 2006 to create a burger business. Finding existing chains inadequate for their needs, they purchased a standalone burger business called "Icon Burger" in Denver, experimented for months while running the store, and finally relaunched as Smashburger in 2007.
Consumer Capital Partners
Essential to the establishment and growth of Smashburger was Consumer Capital Partners, of which Prokupek is a partner. The fund provided the initial cash for starting Smashburger, and then invested the needed capital for quick expansion. With that support, Smashburger is already going global as a franchise despite its relatively short operating history.
Employees
Smashburger incentivizes its employees, providing bonuses for everything from faster service (for employees) to higher sales (for management). The results speak for themselves, as online reviews reveal happy, satisfied customers who have been served with a genuine smile. And good service is something that customers are willing to pay extra for. That is worth it for the brand and the return business, even if the premium is only a few dollars more.
Disruption
All of this makes no difference unless Smashburger provides something that others do not. Smashburger does that, and does it well. It is not merely something as gimmicky as the way they "smash" the burgers with a handheld steel tool. That would not befit an establishment founded by the ever-inventive Ryan. The real secret is in the small upgrades that Smashburger provides - the caramelized patty grilled in butter, special toppings such as avocado, garlic mushrooms, fried eggs (a la Fatburger), 4 types of buns (including "lettuce") and no less than 16 different sauces (Smash sauce, anyone?).
On the side, there are Haagen-Dazs shakes, root beer floats, and local craft beer. As an added bonus, chicken and veggie burgers and "smash fries" are available as well.
In the realm of fast food, McDonald's reigns supreme. But Ryan and his team were able to distinguish their brand enough to make it a totally different experience. They call it "fast casual dining." When you want to grab a burger, but don't want the usual fare, you can go a little bit upscale with Smashburger. What a disruptive concept. Burger joints watch out.
