Industry Veteran to lead Burger Brand’s Continued Success and Rapid Growth
Smashburger, the nation’s fastest growing “better burger” concept, today has appointed Michael Nolan as President & Chief Executive Officer to lead the concept into its next phase of growth and development. Nolan joined the Smashburger brand in February of this year as Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, overseeing the company’s Development (Real Estate, Construction, Design and Facilities), Franchise Sales, IT and Strategy Departments.
Nolan has more than 25 years of experience in restaurant development strategy and executive level management, successfully growing national and international brands. Most recently Michael served as Corner Bakery’s Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. He also has held executive level management positions at Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. where he oversaw the restaurant development strategy for more than 1,500 locations across 26 countries. Nolan held several executive positions and led growth strategies for Panera Bread Company during a 12 year expansion phase that saw units grow from 250 to more than 1,500. Michael has served as a member of the Smashburger Board of Advisors since 2012.
“Michael has a great history with the Smashburger brand and a great career delivering unparalleled food and hospitality experiences for customers around the world,” commented Rick Schaden, Chairman and Co-Founder of Smashburger. “At Smashburger we continue to set aggressive goals for quality, value, service and sales on an increasingly large scale. Michael’s experience and perspective will be instrumental as we evolve from a regional player to a food first global brand.”
This announcement follows a significant recapitalization of Smashburger completed in Q4 2015. In late 2015 Smashburger announced a new strategic partnership with Jollibee Foods Corporation (PSE: JFC), a Manilla based company operating multiple brands worldwide.
Outgoing CEO Scott Crane joined the company in 2007, when Smashburger had just two stores in Denver, CO. Under his leadership, Smashburger firmly established its place as a leader in the better burger category, growing to over 365 restaurants and consistently ranking as “best burger” in many markets. He was elevated to CEO in 2013.
“Scott is a valued leader and great friend,” said Schaden. “He is an executive who has great food service embedded in his DNA. We have a deep appreciation for everything he has done for the company, our brand and, most importantly, our people.”
Smashburger currently operates and is in development in more than 365 restaurants across the United States, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Canada, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Smashburger will continue to grow at a strong pace with a mission of bringing great burgers back to Americans and sharing them with the world.
For more information on Smashburger, please visit www.smashburger.com.
