Creating a burger youthquake

SMASHBURGER

striking graphic identity & restaurant interior design

From a beloved US brand for UK roll-out

Smashburger GIF featuring the logo and visuals, capturing the brand’s energetic vibe and bold, mouth-watering burger imagery.

Smashburger is an established, premium US burger brand… but could this unknown Kansas concept, work in the very competitive UK market?

Interior of a modern restaurant with brick walls, wooden tables, and red seating. Large windows on the right let in natural light, and there are pendant lights hanging from the ceiling. Wall decor includes white neon-style signs and illustrations.

Smashburger, Bath

Exterior view of a Smashburger restaurant with a large sign, large glass window showing the interior with customers, and a woman waiting outside on the sidewalk.
Group of employees standing outside the newly opened Smashburger restaurant, holding signs and balloons celebrating the grand opening.

Smashburger, Wednesbury

Smashburger, Brighton

“We have been planning an opening in the UK for a while and are pleased to have found the right location and design partner to help realise this expansion. It is great to be able to share our concept with a market who are fast becoming burger connoisseurs.”
— TIM LOWTHER, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT SMASHBURGER

The answer was a big ‘yes’.  The key was to amplify and celebrate the brand’s USP – the distinctive culinary technique of burger ‘smashing’ which caramelises the burger and locks in flavours.

Close-up of a black sign with white text that reads 'SMASH BURGER' hanging from a wall, with red and white balloons in the background.
A circular stamp on a wooden surface that reads 'Delicious Taste Guaranteed' with a fist bump icon in the center.
Logo with a circular border and a simple line drawing of a cheeseburger in the center. Text around the circle reads 'SMASHBURGER MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY'.
Person serving multiple cups of soft drinks on a red tray in front of two people eating at a restaurant table with food and condiments
Interior of a modern restaurant with wooden tables, red and natural wood chairs, a long red tufted booth, a brick wall with a white Brooklyn Bridge mural, and hanging industrial-style light bulbs.

Smashburger, Milton Keynes

This animation, together with bold urban typography, graphic icons, industrial palette and authentic diner materials, created an immersive eating experience for UK Millennials … and they loved it.

Interior view of a modern casual restaurant with brick and white grid walls, black and red accents, tables with red stools, and decorative wall art.
Red neon sign spelling 'SMASH' hangs on a black metal frame, with a blurred red lamp in the foreground.

The first UK Smashburger opened in 2016 in Milton Keynes, followed by multiple openings nationwide from Brighton to Newcastle.

Interior of a modern cafe with red chairs, tufted red banquette, wooden tables, large windows, industrial lighting, and a black and white mural of fire escape stairs on the wall.
Interior of a restaurant or bar with white walls featuring black text and graphics, including location details for Denver and Milton Keynes, and decorative signage, with hanging red lights and large windows letting in natural light.
List of ingredients for a classic smashburger, including ketchup, smash sauce, pickles, red onion, tomato, lettuce, American cheese, and a smash burger on a bun, with images of a hamburger bun at the top and bottom.
Brick wall with faded white painted sign reading 'Denver, Glasgow, St. Mikes', illuminated by a ceiling spotlight, with hanging light fixtures visible on the right.

Smashburger, Glasgow

Collection of folded clothes, small packaged items, and printed materials arranged on a red background, related to Smash Burger branding.
Person holding two baskets with fast food items: one with onion rings, a small cup of dipping sauce, and vegetables; the other with a cheeseburger and French fries.
White graffiti on brick wall showing three different ways to form a fist with an arrow pointing downward or upward, and the word 'Smashed' above.
Storefront with a sign that reads 'SMASHBURGER,' decorated with clusters of red and white balloons outside the building.
Digital screen displaying an advertisement for Smash Burger, featuring a person holding a burger with greens, and text inviting to join the Smashclub for news and offers.
Close-up of red tomatoes with a sign in the background that reads 'Smashed, Seared, Seasoned' with black direction arrows above and below.
Two takeaway coffee cups placed on a pebbled beach with a pier extending into the ocean and a cloudy sky in the background.
A ceiling-mounted fixture with five vintage-style Edison light bulbs hanging at different lengths in a dimly lit room.
Two fast food trays with burgers, fries, and onion rings on a wooden table, with drinks and condiments.
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