Smashburger posted a 7% same-store sales increase and 10.4% traffic gain in the second quarter of 2026, parent Jollibee Foods Corporation disclosed during an August earnings call. The Denver-based fast casual chain now is extending that momentum with two whole-muscle grilled chicken sandwiches launched Sept. 30, 2026, alongside a New York deli-themed limited-time lineup.

What did Smashburger put on the menu?

The chain added the Grilled Chicken Avocado Club and the Deluxe Grilled Chicken Sandwich, both built on a whole-muscle chicken breast filet that replaces the chain's prior smashed-and-grilled chicken product. Smashburger also rolled out limited-time offers: a New York Pastrami Smash burger, a New York Pastrami Big Dog, and two seasonal shakes.

The shift from a formed, smashed, seasoned and grilled chicken product to a whole-muscle breast is a clear menu-engineering play. Smashburger CEO Jim Sullivan said the older chicken product was "well received by guests," and the upgrade positions the chain to compete in the higher-protein, better-quality category where rivals have leaned in.

How is the chain rolling it out?

Smashburger runs market tests in a limited number of restaurants before scaling, collecting live guest feedback and purchase data. For the new chicken sandwiches, the chain shipped raw materials to restaurants two weeks before launch and trained employees one week out using its Opus training program, followed by shoulder-to-shoulder, on-the-line training.

"Every person will be certified by position and certified in the builds of these products before we go live with the public," Sullivan said. That certification-first approach reduces order errors and the kind of throughput friction that erodes labor percentage in a build-to-order burger kitchen.

Why add chicken now?

Sullivan tied the move directly to commodity economics. The chain has been careful when taking price given ongoing beef inflation and is using chicken to give guests everyday value while protecting margin. Adding more chicken SKUs also helps offset beef input cost pressure, which has been a margin headwind for burger concepts throughout 2026.

The chain added a $4.99 everyday value tier to its menu last year to widen its price-point ladder below the signature core products. The new chicken sandwiches slot above that value tier but below premium LTOs, giving operators more mix flexibility at a time when 10.4% traffic growth signals guests are still trading into fast casual.

What else is driving the comp gains?

The sales lift follows a two-year operational reset. Smashburger has reworked field leadership, retrained staff on hospitality, speed of service and order accuracy, improved third-party marketplace visibility and rolled out targeted pricing actions. The chain also reduced in-restaurant complexity so workers can focus on fundamentals.

The Summer of Smash campaign last year marked a return to premium innovation, Sullivan said, and the company has since slowed the pace of new product launches to focus on what works. "We've been able to enjoy growing both revenue and traffic in the restaurant since that launch," he said.

The Q2 comp gain, combined with the new chicken platform, positions Smashburger to test whether the beef-to-chicken mix shift can hold as the chain enters the holiday window, when limited-time items typically drive incremental visits.