From a Trailer to the First Order 🚛
The picture is of me and my dad. The person taking it is my mom. This was in 2022 when I got my first catering job with Smashers, which happened to be at my own high school’s graduation. With no one to help, my parents stepped in. I was behind the grill, my dad handled the fryer, and my mom took orders. Despite having no kitchen experience, we served over 200 burgers and fries in under three hours. The amazing response gave me confidence in Smashers' future. But where did the idea even begin?
How Smashers Began 🍔
At 17, I had no plans to be a chef or start a food truck. I disliked school, quit sports, and was just drifting. Then I saw a YouTube video: “How to Make a Smashburger.” I was starving, so I figured, why not? I grabbed the ingredients and got to cooking. My first Smashburger wasn’t bad, and I quickly saw the potential. From that moment, I became obsessed with perfecting the craft.
The Summer That Changed Everything ☀️
The first summer of running Smashers food truck was genuinely the best time of my life. With the help of my best friend Jackson Rose, Smashers began to take off. Luckily, people loved Smashers just as much as I did. The response from locals and visitors was tremendous. I knew I was onto something. After that summer, I couldn’t stop thinking about Smashers. I was in college at the time, but I had no aspirations to do anything besides run my business. So I dropped out and went all in on Smashers.
The Smashers Team 💪
Smashers wouldn’t be where it is today without the people behind it. What started as just me, my parents, and a dream has grown into something bigger. Now, our food truck is stronger than ever, thanks to Colvin Willis (Rockie), Molly Brown (Moopsie), Liam Flynn, and Hope Celli. They run it better than I ever could, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Come Get Smashed! 🍔🔥
Flash forward to now, being 20 years old. I signed my first lease for a restaurant two weeks after my birthday, which really bothered me because I wanted to be a teenager when I signed. But regardless, we are set to open Smashers' first-ever brick-and-mortar restaurant early August 2024. I am extremely excited and optimistic about the future of Smashers, and I can’t thank my parents enough for all that they have done. Smashers and I are nothing without them.