Smashburger opens in Milton Keynes today but what can we expect?

US burger chain Smashburger makes its long-awaited UK debut when it opens in Milton Keynes today.
How Smashburger will look at the Kingston Centre in MKHow Smashburger will look at the Kingston Centre in MK
How Smashburger will look at the Kingston Centre in MK

The firm is opening a store in Kingston as it gears up to roll out another 35 stores and create up to 1,400 new jobs in the UK, as the MK Citizen reported last week.

Over a year after first announcing that it would launch in the UK, the MK restaurant is the chain’s pioneer across the pond.

So what can we expect from the intriguingly named burger restaurant?

Smashburger is opening its first UK store in Milton KeynesSmashburger is opening its first UK store in Milton Keynes
Smashburger is opening its first UK store in Milton Keynes

Well Smashburger’s burgers are created by smashing a ball of fresh beef on to a hot buttered grill, which the company says creates a seal that keeps juices inside the patty.

“We treat our meat like gold,” says Tim Lowther, the company’s managing director.

Known for ‘fresh never frozen, 100% Certified British Beef burgers’, the company is set to launch a further 35 restaurants in the UK this year following the MK launch.

Smashburger says it uses premium ingredients to create artisan burgers packed with flavour and served at a competitive price.

The Smashburger logoThe Smashburger logo
The Smashburger logo

The restaurants are famous for their innovative burger combinations and creating a localised burger for each region, influenced by local tastes and popular flavours so expect an MK Burger to be on the menu soon.

Customers can also enjoy a selection of tender marinated grilled or crispy chicken sandwiches and fresh-tossed signature salads, along with a variety of irresistible sides including rosemary and garlic–seasoned Smashfries, Haystack Onions, and Veggie Frites (flash-fried and seasoned carrot sticks and green beans).

Tim Lowther, the company’s managing director, said that despite the explosion of premium burger chains over the past few years, the market is not yet saturated.

“There’s a £2.8 billion burger market in the UK, and we think there’s significant scope to capture more of the market, there’s massive room for growth.

Smashburger is opening its first UK store in Milton KeynesSmashburger is opening its first UK store in Milton Keynes
Smashburger is opening its first UK store in Milton Keynes

“We don’t think the market is saturated, and what differentiates us is that nobody makes burgers to the same level of detail we do,” he said.

In the US, Smashburger has more than 300 stores and in the UK the firm has teamed up with the MSG Group, which acts as the chain’s master franchiser.

Smashburger will join fellow US burger giants Five Guys and Shake Shack who have both beefed up their presence in the UK.