Smashburger

Smashburger opened in Denver, Colorado, in 2007 with one technique as its entire identity: a ball of Certified Angus Beef is pressed hard onto a hot griddle with a heavy tool, so it spreads thin and forms a deep brown crust in seconds. Home cooks and food writers had long loved the method; Smashburger was one of the first chains to build a brand around it.

The chain grew fast, then slowed down, and was bought in stages by Jollibee Foods, the Philippine fast-food giant. By the 2020s smash burgers had become the trendiest style in America, and the place that helped popularise them found itself competing with everyone who copied the idea.

Around 200 restaurants, mostly in the US. Owned by the Philippine company behind Jollibee.