Thin, crispy, and seared to order with minimal toppings smashburgers are more than just a food trend.
They're a blueprint for the future of fast food.
Built on low overhead and small menus, these independent spots are outperforming the burger chains on speed, consistency, and value.
Even though consumers are eating out less and these fast food giants are stumbling, it's these tiny smashburger concepts that are thriving.
For only a few extra dollars, more Americans are ditching Big Macs and Whoppers in favor of these fresher, smashed local alternatives.
Customer retention at McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's have plummeted, and their executives are panicking.
The only tactic they had was launching limited-time gimmicks, but even that has lost its effectiveness.
The burger giants don't have the means to make smashburgers unless they change their business models.
Smashburgers are not a new invention.
Shake Shack, Five Guys, and Culver's have built their empires on it since the 2000s.
