Michael Ardolino

Smashburger

Founded in June 2007 and based in Denver, Colorado's Cherry Creek neighborhood, the first Smashburger opened with one simple notion in mind: to serve a better burger and, in the process, helped create a new category. The brand smashed convention to deliver an all-in better burger experience focused on fresh, quality ingredients, a cool, hip environment, and exceptional service conducive to a busy modern lifestyle. In October 2015, Smashburger Master LLC, agreed to sell a significant stake to Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC). Jollibee is the largest restaurant company in the Philippines, operating more than 3,000 restaurants, including Burger King Philippines, Red Ribbon, Chowking, Greenwich Pizza, and with 30% of its restaurants outside the Philippines. Today, Jollibee is the 100% owner of Smashburger and seeks to solidify the brand in the U.S. before its next chapter of growth in the U.S. and abroad, which includes organic growth, unit expansion and new acquisitions. In July 2019, Jollibee announced the acquisition of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf moving further towards their vision of becoming one of the "Top Five" restaurant companies in the world. Jollibee is characterized by a culture of trust, humility, collaboration, decisiveness and executional excellence.