Beef Bonanza! Smashburger Coming to Ft. Greene

A wildly popular burger franchise will open its first location in the city at the base of 80 DKLB BKLN, the swank new apartment tower at DeKalb Avenue and Rockwell Place.

The new Smashburger will be one of three locations to open near Downtown Brooklyn, according to execs at the company based in Denver, Colo.

Jim Denburg, the franchisee, said he chose to open the new outpost of the burger chain at the base of the Bruce Ratner-owned 80 DKLB because of its location near the bustling intersection of DeKalb and Flatbush avenues.

“I saw this beautiful new building, near the subway, with tons of pedestrian activity going by, and I sensed that a Smashburger would do well in that spot,” said Denburg.

The Smashburger founder, Tom Ryan, added that the new 42-seat location set to open in April will be as distinct a presence in the neighborhood as the modern, glassy tower that houses it.

“It will have dominant red color and permanent, plush booths,” said Ryan of its decor.  

Unlike the apartment complex above it, however, Smashburger won’t only cater to affluent customers, offering smashed — literally — burgers that cost around $5.

The chain’s decadent, greasy Angus burgers cooked on butter-painted grills have earned quite a following nationwide. It is expanding at a rapid pace, and aims to open 500 locations across the country in the next five years, according to the Arizona Republic (they really are opening all over the place.)

But the restaurant faces some meaty competition in the area — including the Fort Greene favorite 67 Burger on Lafayette Avenue, a Five Guys Burgers in Brooklyn Heights, Junior’s just on the other side of Flatbush Avenue at DeKalb Avenue, and the uber-popular Shake Shack, which will open its first Brooklyn location on the Fulton Mall later this year. 

Smashburger’s arrival in Brooklyn was first reported by The New York Times.