Smashburger has filled three senior seats simultaneously — CMO, franchise development, and regional operations — in what the Denver-based fast-casual chain is framing as an infrastructure investment ahead of accelerated franchise expansion. The moves suggest the brand is positioning itself for a more aggressive area development agreement pipeline after a period of relative quiet on the unit-growth front.
Kate Savelli steps into the chief marketing officer role with more than 20 years of restaurant-industry experience. She will own brand strategy, consumer marketing, menu development, and partnership activations — a portfolio that spans the full commercialization cycle from LTO pipeline to media investment. Theresa Vitale joins as Director of Non-Traditional Franchise Development, a title that signals deliberate attention to captive-venue channels — airports, universities, stadiums, and healthcare campuses — where operators can capture incremental daypart volume with lower real-estate overhead. Jack Reed comes aboard as Vice President of Western Operations, adding regional oversight muscle in a geography where Smashburger maintains a meaningful existing footprint.
The hires arrive as the broader fast-casual burger segment continues to absorb significant competitive pressure. Shake Shack has leaned into its asset-light licensing model for non-traditional sites, while Habit Burger and Wayback Burgers have each pressed franchise development in secondary and tertiary markets. For Smashburger — which operates and franchises locations across the U.S. and internationally under the umbrella of Jollibee Foods Corporation — sharpening the franchise development and marketing functions simultaneously is a logical move if the goal is to lift both royalty rate yield and unit count in tandem. Same-store sales trends and brand-level AUV figures were not disclosed in the announcement.
The non-traditional development appointment is particularly telling. Captive-venue franchise agreements often carry different royalty structures and build-out economics than traditional inline or freestanding units, and a dedicated director suggests Smashburger sees a meaningful white-space opportunity in that channel. The company popularized the smash-and-sear preparation that has since become a defining technique across the segment, and brand recognition in high-traffic non-traditional venues could accelerate consumer trial without the capital intensity of a full drive-thru or freestanding build. Franchisee infrastructure investments of this type have become a recurring theme across the fast-casual tier as brands seek asset-light growth levers.
Smashburger did not disclose current system unit count, AUV targets, or a specific development pipeline figure in conjunction with the announcement. The company is expected to provide additional strategic context as the new leadership team sets near-term priorities.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
