SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Colorado–based fast-casual restaurant chain Smashburger has announced plans to expand into Central and Western New York with nearly two dozen franchised locations expected to open throughout the area. Brothers Brad and Drew DeGrazia, who have restaurant experience as owners of several Moe’s Southwest Grill franchises, plan to bring 23 franchise locations […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
- Critical Central New York business news and analysis updated daily.
- Immediate access to all subscriber-only content on our website.
- Get a year's worth of the Print Edition of The Central New York Business Journal.
- Special Feature Publications such as the Book of Lists and Revitalize Greater Binghamton, Mohawk Valley, and Syracuse Magazines
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Colorado–based fast-casual restaurant chain Smashburger has announced plans to expand into Central and Western New York with nearly two dozen franchised locations expected to open throughout the area.
Brothers Brad and Drew DeGrazia, who have restaurant experience as owners of several Moe’s Southwest Grill franchises, plan to bring 23 franchise locations of Smashburger to the Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo regions, according to a company news release issued Wednesday. The release didn’t specify how many restaurants each area would get, nor provide specific locations and timelines.
Smashburger currently has two eateries open in the Albany–Saratoga Springs region and about 10 in the New York City metro area, according to its website.
The company describes itself as a “better burger restaurant concept.” Hamburger patties are “smashed on the grill to sear in the juices.” Menu items include the classic smash, avocado club, and the bacon cheeseburger, as well as chicken sandwiches, salads, and shakes made with Haagen-Dazs ice cream, according to the company’s site.
Regional menu items based on local food tastes also dot the menu. The New Yorker Smashburger is topped with peppercorn garlic aioli, tomato, spinach, garlic-grilled onions, and New York cheddar cheese. The release did not say if the burger chain would offer menu items unique to Central New York.
The upstate New York market presents “substantial growth opportunities for the brand as residents are looking for restaurants with quality ingredients at an affordable price,” Smashburger’s CEO, Scott Crane, said in the release.
The first Smashburger opened in Denver in 2007. It now has 315 corporate and franchise locations across 34 states and seven countries.
The company plans to grow to more than 350 restaurants by the end of 2015. It also announced plans to open eateries in Florida and North Carolina in the same release that spelled out the upstate New York plans.
Smashburger franchisees are required to have a minimum net worth of $1.5 million and a minimum of $500,000 in liquid assets, according to the company site.
Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com