Smashburger, the rapidly expanding burger restaurant known for its fresh, smashed-to-order burgers, celebrates its expansion into the Toronto market through a new agreement with franchise operator HMS Host, which opened its first restaurant in Toronto Pearson International Airport on July 9.
The brand also continues its nontraditional expansion in the U.S., with the announcement of a new agreement with franchise operator University of Notre Dame DuLac, which will bring a restaurant to Notre Dame University in fall 2016. These openings represent the brand’s continuous growth in nontraditional locations to deliver a burger experience that exceeds expectations to burger lovers around the world.
The Toronto Pearson restaurant, Smashburger’s fourth international airport location, occupies 881 square feet in the new Terminal Three food court and signifies the brand’s priority to expand its footprint in Canada. The menu will feature full breakfast and lunch options, as well as local food staple poutine. With over 40 million annual travelers, the new restaurant will serve Canada’s busiest airport and Air Canada’s largest hub.
“Smashburger’s fresh and made to order burgers will be a fantastic new addition to Toronto Pearson’s food and beverage options,” says Michael Ross, director of commercial development at Toronto Pearson Airport. “Our objective is to offer passengers more choice, fast service, and a high-quality experience. We’re very proud to attract innovative brands like Smashburger and we’re certain that passengers will be delighted with their tasty burgers.”
“We are excited to expand Smashburger’s footprint in Canada to Toronto Pearson International Airport,” says Mike Nolan, Smashburger president & CEO. “We continuously evaluate our restaurants and operations to determine new places to provide our well-known better burger concept to consumers. We felt that this nontraditional location is well-suited to deliver the highest quality, future-forward burger experience.”
The brand is also actively seeking experienced franchise operators to expand Smashburger in the Toronto market and throughout Canada.
The new Smashburger restaurant at Notre Dame University, consistently ranked as one of the top U.S. universities for campus dining, will open at LaFortune Student Center in fall 2016. The new restaurant will be housed in a previous Burger King location on the main level of the student center. The space will undergo a full remodel to almost double the available square footage for a larger kitchen.
“At Notre Dame University, we look for brands who have a proven track record of providing the highest quality food and services,” says Jim Labella, LaFortune Student Center operations manager. “We believe Smashburger is the perfect better burger concept to fulfill this priority and expectation for great tasting food. We are looking forward to bringing their popular, upscale burger option to our students and faculty.”
Smashburger currently operates in three casinos, 11 airport locations and one college campus, with several additional locations coming soon.
