Smashburger, a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its hand-smashed-to-order burgers, is announcing that Jose Miñana Jr. has been appointed as interim president of Smashburger in place of Carl Bachmann upon his departure from the company on June 30th. Miñana is the chief sustainability and public affairs officer for Smashburger's parent company, Jollibee Foods Corp., and will serve as the president until the permanent lead executive has been appointed.

Miñana has over 25 years of experience working for the Jollibee Foods Corp. and has held multiple positions within the global restaurant company. Before being named the chief sustainability and public affairs officer in 2019, Miñana was the group president for Jollibee Foods Corp.'s business across the North American continent. Additionally, he spent time leading business development for the global restaurant company's brands in Vietnam and the Philippines. 

"I'm honored to work closely with the Smashburger leadership team at such an exciting time for the brand. We will look to maintain the strong momentum that Smashburger has built and accelerate our nationwide expansion in both new and existing markets," said Miñana.

"We are confident that Miñana and our committed Smashburger leadership team will continue to build on this year's gains and position the company for more success in the coming months," said Ernesto Tanmantiong, president and chief executive officer of Jollibee Foods Corp. "We thank Carl for his valuable contributions to Smashburger since joining our team in 2019."

Founded in 2007 in Denver, Colo., Smashburger is a better-burger brand known for its innovative approach to crafting high-quality burgers. From the way the burgers are cooked to the unique flavors they offer, Smashburger is constantly pushing the boundaries of what a burger can be. With 240 locations across 34 states and 7 countries, Smashburger is the quickest fast-casual concept to hit the 200-restaurant milestone and has sustained consistent growth due to its ongoing brand innovation, which helps drive store profitability and build guest loyalty. This past year, the brand also redefined its portfolio with the launch of a new restaurant design, with some locations offering a full-service bar.

Source: Smashburger