Smashburger, the rapidly expanding better burger restaurant known for its fresh, smashed to order burgers, announced plans to add additional casino locations across the country. The following restaurants are scheduled to open in spring and fall 2016, bringing the brand’s casino-based location count to four restaurants.
- Harrah’s Laughlin – Located at the north end of Harrah’s Laughlin, Smashburger is slated to open in spring 2016. The restaurant will offer seating for 112 casino guests. Smashburger will be the first fast-casual restaurant in the Harrah’s Laughlin casino.
- Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Las Vegas –Located in the Masquerade Village inside Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, this will be Smashburger’s third location at a Caesar’s Entertainment resort. The restaurant will offer seating for 68 casino guests. This location will have upgraded restaurant design features such as a new façade cladding system with wood planks to brighten up the restaurant. Smashburger plans to open in fall of 2016.
“As we continue our rapid expansion into markets across the country, non-traditional locations like casinos are an important addition to the pipeline,” says president and CEO Scott Crane. “Providing casino visitors with great made-to-order burgers in a fast and efficient manner is exactly what we’re built for. After seeing the success we’ve had at our other casino locations, we knew these two new locations were a great fit and we’re excited about the opportunity they will bring to our brand.”
From fine dining to fast casual, the casino dining environment is hyper-competitive as guests expect an array of choices and experiences they can’t get at home. Smashburger’s operation delivers an exceptional customer experience while meeting some of the unique opportunities in these nontraditional venues. Smashburger has achieved operational efficiencies due to its one-of-a-kind smashing process, which turns out fresh, juicy burgers and chicken sandwiches in just minutes—ensuring a quality product in even the highest volume environments. The cooking technique enables Smashburger’s compact kitchen design, which maximizes every last square inch of space, allowing Smashburger to fit into virtually any size or space.
Smashburger has adapted the menu at its casino locations to offer variety, quality, and convenience to casino diners, including adding breakfast options to its lunch and dinner menus for guests looking for an early bite before hitting the gaming floor. Aside from 100 percent Certified Angus Beef burgers, the menus will offer grilled or crispy chicken sandwiches, entrée salads, and a selection of premium sides. Both casino locations will also offer a variety of beer.
“We are very excited to have Smashburger as a part of our food lineup here at Harrah’s Laughlin that will offer our guests and the local market a new experience with an upscale burger option,” says Brad Belhouse, senior vice president and general manager of the property. “Casino customers crave a high-quality experience at a fast pace. There’s more demand for fast, outstanding service and food, and we feel Smashburger is the perfect partner to fit this demand.”
Smashburger currently operates in two casino locations: Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas and the Choctaw Casino Resort. Smashburger casino locations typically garner higher check averages and are key to building broad-based brand awareness. “The sheer volume of first-time-users we can generate at casino locations is a huge opportunity for a growing brand,” Crane says. “We look forward to delivering the Smashburger experience and adding to our legion of Smashburger fans.”
Smashburger is actively seeking partnerships with experienced and seasoned franchisees at casino locations across the country and worldwide.
