Smashburger is challenging fast-casual peers in thebetter-burger category. Its first restaurant opened in June 2007 at1120 S. Colorado Blvd. in Glendale, CO and five more came on linein the Denver metro before the year ended. With four more Denverspots in the pipeline, the owners believe it's time to take theirshow on the road and Texas is a natural next stop.

"We think it's a great market because Texans definitely liketheir hamburgers," says Ryan McMonagle, Smashburger's CFO. He tellsGlobeSt.com that Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston each will start withtwo "grade A-plus locations" this year and reach eight to 10 before2009 ends, putting the new chain on "a clear path to 30 over thenext three-year period" in each city. The Texas drive will round upSan Antonio and Austin in the next wave along with Minneapolis. "Weare actively working LOIs in all cities," McMonagle confides,adding the Central Texas cities are being primed for 15 to 20restaurants each. Orders also are being placed for spots in KansasCity and Wichita, KS.

[IMGCAP(2)]A Dallas lease will be signed any day now, with talksalready underway for a second location. Houston's first Smashburgeris going into an unnamed strip center at the intersection of MainStreet and Kirby Drive, right beside Reliant Center. Smashburger'sDallas scouts are Kelly Hampton, senior vice president, and JamesDunn, vice president, both with Venture Commercial Real Estate LLCand its Houston hunt is being led by Baker Katz Commercial RealEstate, which has two more leases in line to be signed.