Smashburger® Appoints Jim Sullivan as CEO to Drive Growth Through Flavor, Focus, and Franchise Development

Appointment accelerates momentum as Smashburger® doubles down on bold food, guest experience, and operational excellence under Jollibee Group

DENVER, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Smashburger®, the fast-casual restaurant company that popularized smashed burgers, today announced the promotion of Jim Sullivan to Chief Executive Officer. Sullivan, who has served as President since February, will spearhead strategy and oversee all operations of the business, with a focus on brand positioning and a return to category leadership and growth through franchising and non-traditional unit expansion. 

Sullivan's appointment reflects the strategic progress Smashburger® has made over the past six months. During this time the company has launched the largest brand campaign in company history titled 'Summer of Smash,' introduced a new everyday value tier and bold menu innovation through items like the Bacon Brisket Smash®, as well as a return to unit growth with the opening of its newest location at Detroit Metro Airport. These developments have contributed to improvements in guest satisfaction scores, stronger operational performance, and sustainable growth.

"Jim brings decisive leadership, a clear vision, and a deep understanding of Smashburger's position in the market," said Richard CW Shin - Chief Executive Officer, Jollibee Group International and Global Chief Finance & Risk Officer, Jollibee Group. "He has already laid the foundation for a more focused brand that is delivering better food, a stronger guest experience, and renewed momentum across the system. With Jim at the helm, I believe we are entering a new chapter of opportunity for Smashburger—one rooted in a strong guest connection, and a relentless drive to win."

As CEO, Sullivan will lead the brand repositioning of Smashburger® around its core strengths: culinary quality and taste, flawless restaurant execution across all revenue channels, the in-restaurant experience and franchise scalability. He is focused on accelerating franchise development, with a particular emphasis on high-impact, non-traditional growth in venues such as airports and higher education. Sullivan also aims to reinvest in the in-restaurant experience, recognizing the four walls as a critical differentiator in a crowded category.

"Smashburger modernized the technique of smashing burgers and we're reclaiming that leadership with intention and momentum," said Jim Sullivan, CEO of Smashburger®. "Our bold flavor, elevated guest experience, and operational discipline give us a distinct edge in a crowded space. With the strategic support of JFC, we are leveraging scale and operational flexibility to drive focused, capital-efficient growth. This is a brand built on craveable taste tailored to today's consumer and we're building it to perform over the long-term for our guests, our teams, and our franchisees."

Sullivan brings more than 25 years of executive and restaurant development experience and is widely recognized for repositioning brands for category leadership and scaling high-growth franchise systems. Before joining the company, Sullivan served as Chief Development Officer at QDOBA, where he oversaw global expansion and new restaurant development. He has also held senior development roles at CKE Restaurant Holdings, Friendly's Ice Cream, Modern Restaurant Concepts and American Hospitality Concepts, honing deep expertise in brand strategy, real estate and franchise growth.

For more information about Smashburger®, please visit www.smashburger.com.

About Smashburger® 
Smashburger® is a leading fast-casual better burger restaurant known for its Certified Angus Beef® burgers, which are smashed on the grill to lock in flavor and create a signature sear. In addition to burgers, the menu includes all-Angus hot dogs, Crispy Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Smash®, hand-spun shakes, and sides such as SmashFries® and SmashTots®. Founded in 2007 and based in Denver, Colorado, Smashburger is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jollibee Foods Corporation with 204 locations across 30 U.S. states and seven countries, with 121 corporate locations and 83 franchised. 

About Jollibee Group
Jollibee Foods Corporation (PSE: JFC) (the "Company") is the one of the world's fastest-growing restaurant companies, driven by its purpose of spreading joy through superior taste. It manages and operates a portfolio which includes 19 brands (the "Jollibee Group") with over 10,000 stores and cafés across 33 countries.

The Jollibee Group's portfolio includes nine wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger and Tim Ho Wan), five franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, Yoshinoya, Common Man Coffee Roasters, and Tiong Bahru Bakery in the Philippines), and ownership stakes in other key brands like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (80%), Compose Coffee (70%), SuperFoods Group that operates Highlands Coffee (60%), and bubble tea brand Milksha (51%). The Company also has membership interests in Tortazo, LLC, along with Chef Rick Bayless, for Tortazo in the U.S. and has recently invested in Botrista, a leader in beverage technology. 

 The Jollibee Group's global sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow, underscores its commitment to sustainable business practices across food safety, employee welfare, community support, good governance, and environmental responsibility, among others. These focus areas are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The Company has been recognized as the Philippines' Most Admired Company by the Asian Wall Street Journal, named one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies, and listed among Forbes' World's Best Employers and Top Female-Friendly Companies. The Company is also a four-time Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award recipient and featured in TIME's World's Best Companies and Fortune's Southeast Asia 500 List.

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

Media Contact

ICR, on behalf of Smashburger®
[email protected]

SOURCE Smashburger