Tom Ryan founded Smashburger in 2007 with a straightforward goal: deliver quality burgers with a memorable twist—“something people would crave and keep coming back for.” But by the time the brand hit its 17th anniversary last year, the menu had become cluttered with chicken sandwiches, wings, and other items that edged the chain away from its core identity.
“We realized it was time to refocus on what made us great in the first place,” Ryan says.
In 2024, Smashburger streamlined its menu by doubling down on the burgers that built its reputation. But this wasn’t just a matter of cutting. It was a broader recalibration. Fan favorites like Smash Sauce made a return, the truffle mayo was reimagined in-house, and even the lettuce got an upgrade.
“One key lesson the team learned during the revamp process is that you can’t simply remove a menu item without having a strong innovation pipeline ready to go,” says Smashburger president Jim Sullivan. “It wasn’t just about taking things away—it was about making space for better, more premium menu items.”
The company tested more than 300 variations of grind size and fat content in pursuit of what Ryan describes as a “no-nonsense, all-in approach” to upgrading its burger offerings. The result: a September launch of a sharper menu, with eight new items and four updated classics. Alongside it came a brand refresh—new logos, fresh color schemes, and a sharper visual identity—plus elevated in-store touches like milkshakes served in parfait glasses.
Smashburger also retrained its teams and reemphasized hospitality. Sullivan says those changes are being noticed through better guest feedback and stronger review scores.
“One of the biggest pitfalls brands can make during a menu revamp is losing sight of the customer,” he says. “It’s easy to get caught up in internal goals or operational efficiencies, but if you’re not clearly communicating what’s new and why it matters, you risk confusion.”
Another mistake is thinking the work stops once the new menu launches.
“In reality, that’s just the beginning,” Sullivan says. “You need to stay focused on what’s next—whether that’s highlighting craveable, premium items or continuing to build out your innovation pipeline. Consistent storytelling around your food, your values, and your future keeps guests engaged and excited for what’s coming.”
While Smashburger pared back to strengthen its core, Blaze Pizza had the opposite problem: a decade without new items had left the menu stale.
That changed last summer with a major revamp that started with updated signature pizzas. Guests had increasingly relied on build-your-own to create more indulgent pies, and Blaze wanted its standard offerings to deliver that same satisfaction. With new leadership in place and broader operational changes underway, the refresh was also about reigniting momentum and giving the brand a reason to re-enter the conversation, says former CMO Christian Kuhn.
The new signature pizzas paved the way for a wave of flavor-focused launches, including drizzles, sides, salads, and more. Blaze also aimed to spotlight its fresh, in-house dough by extending it into new categories, leading to items like Cinnamon Bread, its first house-made dessert, and the Fast Fire’d Fold, a calzone-inspired creation. Looking ahead, that same dough could serve as the foundation for future innovation, like hot and cold sandwiches.
“We want to use what’s already on our current line, so supply chain doesn’t always have to go and figure out how to supply 300 restaurants with all of these new ingredients,” Kuhn says. “That’s what our new product strategy is built on. The core tenets are keeping it simple, using existing products for new things, and then bringing in new flavor profiles.”
Blaze also has learned that early buy-in from both guests and franchisees is critical to ensure new items resonate and roll out smoothly.
“It is one thing to sit there and design something that tastes great to you and your team,” Kuhn says. “It’s a very different thing to make sure it works across your consumer set. You also have to partner with your franchisees from day one. Tell them what you’re trying to do and get them involved, because when they’re on board and backing you, life works a lot better.”
With last year’s menu revamp driving brand awareness and generating buzz both internally and externally, Blaze is now focused on sustaining that momentum through more consistent innovation.
“It was one of the best things we’ve ever done as a brand,” Kuhn says. “But it also taught us that if we don’t keep reinventing and having a 12-month plan, we’re going to be back to where we were.”
After completing a sweeping overhaul of its U.S. menu last year, Pepper Lunch is continuing to refine its strategy—pushing forward with new products and process improvements in what CEO Troy Hooper describes as a long-term evolution, not a one-time reset.
The Japanese-based teppanyaki chain, which operates under Hot Palette America in the U.S., is preparing to debut its first-ever dessert stateside. But that’s just the latest in a series of updates that have included adding new proteins and ingredients, removing others, and reformulating core sauces—all while maintaining the brand’s authenticity and resisting the urge to Americanize the menu.
Hooper stepped into the CEO role in 2023, shortly after the parent company acquired Pepper Lunch’s largest U.S. franchisee. That moment prompted leadership to take a hard look at the U.S. operation—where the original 2018 menu had been developed largely independent of corporate input.
“We felt a responsibility to do right by the brand,” Hooper says.
Over a 15-month review, the company conducted extensive market and consumer research, examined sales by location and region, and evaluated suppliers for quality and cost efficiency. Most vendors remained in place, but stronger global alignment and improved scale in the U.S. allowed Pepper Lunch to negotiate better pricing—savings that were reinvested in upgraded proteins.
One of the most high-stakes changes: improving the sliced beef in the brand’s top-selling item, beef pepper rice, which accounts for 55 percent of U.S. sales. The company upgraded from Angus to Certified Angus Beef, two grades higher in quality, and added 11 percent more meat to the dish.
“The flavor is beefier, the chew is softer, and people notice,” Hooper says. “Honestly, I can’t believe it was even on the table to touch, but it’s had one of the most dramatic impacts.”
Other key changes include fewer steak SKUs to eliminate redundancy; hand-cut, ocean-farmed salmon from a new purveyor; and pre-cooked, larger shrimp. The brand also removed its entire udon category to streamline the menu and axed sprouts due to food safety concerns.
Meanwhile, Pepper Lunch reformulated six proprietary sauces to reflect its Japanese roots more closely—“resisting pandering to the American palate,” Hooper says.
Despite no formal marketing push, the updates helped drive U.S. same-store sales up 7.4 percent in the back half of 2024. That organic response validated Pepper Lunch’s approach and laid the foundation for what Hooper says will be a recurring practice.
“We have to be asking where consumer preferences are going and where pricing is at, because we don’t want to overcommit to products that we get stuck with,” he says. “How are trends and tastes changing as our brand becomes more prolific in the U.S.? What learnings are coming from new markets? We want to always be in that mindset, so we’re going to make this an annual process where we evaluate, launch, watch, and repeat.”
