Smashburger

Yay another burger chain coming to the Chicago area!

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/ ... icago.html

I was just thinking to myself the other day ... Chicago could use yet another burger chain.....

On the one hand, you gotta root for the local guys rather than the out-of-town chains. On the other hand, if I'm reading that article correctly, it sounds like a Schoop's that serves liquor. I guess I'll give it a shot whenever it opens.

Edit: I want to make it clear that I meant the style of burger sounds like Schoop's, not the restaurant. The phrases "artisan... bun" and "next generation of burger restaurants" wouldn't come within ten miles of a Schoop's, and that's the way I like my Schoop's.

Reading their website makes me somewhat excited about this place. Of course, a lot will depend on where the 11 locations actually are. But I found it of concern that, even without the Chicago area locations on their map, they appear to have more locations 'coming soon' then they actually have opened up. That's pretty aggressive growth.

That's pretty aggressive growth.

That's called aggressive franchising in a down economy.

Smashburger has a prevalent presence in Denver. It's an average burger when compared to other high quality burger chain like Five Guys. One thing I will say for them is that they make their milkshakes with Haagen Daz ice cream which makes it one of the better "fast food" shakes i have ever had.

You have many better burgers than Smashburger in the Chicago area.

At a time when restaurants are struggling to stay afloat, burger chain Smashburger has signed North Michigan Avenue’s first retail lease in recent months, and plans to open later this year within the LondonHouse hotel.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/ ... story.html