Tom Ryan

Five meaty ideas for Smashburger's new TV campaign

Smashburger, our locally born and quickly proliferating burger chain, is taking its wares to the small screen with its first-ever television ads. One thirty-second spot, created by Denver-based Definite Productions, is a burger-fan dream sequence, reportedly complete with actual beef patty-smashing ... More >>

Exclusive first look: Live Basil Pizza opens Thursday in south Denver

Tom Ryan and his partner Rick Schaden are on a roll -- a burger roll, a 24/7 restaurant roll and a pizza roll. The two men, both of whom are the entrepreneurial brains behind Consumer Concept Group, one of the country's top companies in the field of restaurant development and investment, founded Sm ... More >>

Toppings is tapped out in LoDo, but two more pizza places coming

A string of pizza joints opened in LoDo last year, in a neighborhood that already included the Wazee Supper Club and Two-Fisted Mario's, with Mellow Mushroom and Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria just a few blocks outside of LoDo. Wazee Wood-Fired Pizza was the first to open -- and also the first to close ... More >>

Tom's Urban 24: Is this upscale diner ready for prime time?

See also: Behind the scenes at Tom's Urban 24

Reader: $13 for a friggin' cheeseburger?

Since Tom Ryan founded Smashburger, it's no surprise that his namesake Tom's Urban 24serves a good burger. "Made with eight ounces of ground Angus, the patty isn't smashed to order, as it is at Ryan's other joint -- that technique doesn't work as well on a chargrill -- but it is marbled with a half- ... More >>

Tom's Urban 24: Is it ready for prime time?

You might not know the name Tom Ryan, but you've probably heard of Smashburger, the fast-casual concept he founded in Denver in 2007. Smashburger has been a smashing success, expanding to 200 locations worldwide in just a few years and nabbing the Forbes' title of "most promising company" in America ... More >>

As burger season approaches, take a tip from Tom's Urban 24

I drove by a sign yesterday that said, "The weather's changed 136 times in the past 24 hours, it must be spring." At least, it said something to that effect; the guy behind me honked before I could read it again. Whatever the wording, the sentiment rings true. Spring is here, and that means one th ... More >>

Denver's five best homegrown, fast-casual chains -- from Noodles to Chipotle

Fast-casual restaurants are taking over the world, one burrito, burger and bowl of pasta at a time, offering customers the convenience of quick-service joints and some of the atmosphere and ingredient quality of sit-down places. And given Colorado's casual lifestyle and entrepreneurial spirit, it's ... More >>

Smashburger offers many opportunities for delicious deviation

You know when you sincerely promise yourself you'll try something different the next time you eat at a restaurant, but then don't because you just love that one thing so much? That's me with the Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger at Smashburger. Every single time I've eaten at a Smashburger, I've ordered ... More >>

New Smashburger has an updated design, an industry rock star and amazing fried chiles

Tom Ryan, Smashburger's founder and chief concept officer, yesterday hosted the official unveiling of the new, redesigned Smashburger location at 6305 East Hampden Avenue, walking guests through an eight-course menu of Smashburger items as well as a tour of the store. It was a blast, and I discover ... More >>

Coors, Miller, Bud will keep sponsoring GABF, despite craft vs. crafty controversy

When the Brewers Association blasted the nation's two largest beer makers last week for not labeling some of their smaller brands with the names "MillerCoors" or "Anheuser-Busch," the Boulder organization risked losing a lot of money. After all, the two companies kick in at least $20,000 annually to ... More >>

Reader: Tom's Urban 24 will serve Colorado-centric dishes -- including a Slopper!

It's been a long time since a restaurant has been eagerly awaited as Tom's Urban 24. One of the main reasons for that? The spot will be serving 24/7, a rarity in this town, and doing it from a great location on the edge of Larimer Square. And it will also be serving not just early breakfasts, but a ... More >>

First look: food porn from Tom's Urban 24

In case you've been lost in the woods, Tom's Urban 24, a 24/7 grub house with a menu that spans pages -- and cuisines -- opens on Larimer Square on Halloween, and last week, we brought you exclusive photos of the two-tiered space, which is a kitschy, artistically whimsical combination of modern nuan ... More >>

Exclusive first look: Tom's Urban 24 opens on Halloween

Ever been to Pete's Kitchen at 2 a.m.? Packed like Whole Foods on Thanksgiving. Breakfast King at 3 a.m.? Not an empty seat in the house. And given Denver's love affair with late-night grubbing, you can bet your chicken-fried steak that when Tom's Urban 24 opens on Larimer Square on Halloween, it, t ... More >>

What's in a name? Don't confuse Tom's Urban 24 Diner with Tom's Diner

After hearing that Consumer Capital Partners -- the Denver-based investment company that owns Smashburger -- plans to open Tom's Urban 24 Diner at 1460 Larimer Street this fall, Tom Messina, who's owned and operated Tom's Diner at 601 East Colfax Avenue for the past thirteen years, was "a little fla ... More >>

Lessons from the Spicy Pickle and other Colorado-based chains

A former location of the Spicy Pickle.​Ask Kevin Morrison why the Spicy Pickle chain went belly up, and the former executive of that company, who now owns Pinche Tacos, doesn't exactly mince words. "When you have people who aren't businesspeople or restaurant people trying to run a restaurant ... More >>

Celebrate Repeal Day by toasting beer with Batch 19 from Coors

Prohibition was repealed on December 5, 1933, a day that will forever be celebrated by the drinking public -- and there are plenty of ways to raise a toast. You could enjoy a beer by any number of Colorado's craft brewers, down a drink made with a Colorado-distilled spirit or sip a glass of Western ... More >>

Tossa opens today in Boulder

​Boulder has welcomed several wood-fired pizza joints in the last couple of years, and it's not exactly short on Italian restaurants, either. So we were curious how Tossa, which signed a lease on a place near Folsom and Arapahoe two months ago, would differentiate itself from the rest.

Batch 19, the pre-Prohibition Coors beer, will be on tap at only three old-school Denver bars (and Pete Coors will toast it at Stoney's)

Batch 19A Batch 19 party in San Francisco.​Batch 19, the Coors lager that comes from a pre-Prohibition recipe reportedly unearthed in an old log book in 2004, will go tap this week at three hand-picked bars in Denver. Stoney's Bar & Grill, the Wazee Supper Club and Star Bar were selected in p ... More >>

Batch 19, the pre-Prohibition Coors beer, is coming to Denver

​Batch 19, a Coors-made lager that is brewed based on a recently rediscovered pre-Prohibition recipe, is finally coming home to Colorado. The recipe for the beer was discovered in an old log book at the Golden brewery in 2004, after a small flood in the basement. The book -- and the recipe -- ... More >>

Location, location, location: Smashburger romances the locals

Dylan BurkhardtSmashburger finally has a downtown store. ​The Counter, part of a California-based chain, may not have been able to cut it in Colorado, but the homegrown Smashburger continues to smash the competition. Since it got its start at 1120 South Colorado Boulevard in June 2007, the co ... More >>

Smashburger smashing into downtown next week

​After a slight delay created by a thirteen-inch problem with a neighboring wall, Smashburger is ready to smash into downtown Denver, where it will unveil a new store in the Tabor Center, at 1203 16th Street, on Wednesday, September 22. Since the chain opened its very first Smashburger just ... More >>

Sales of Blue Moon cans (who knew?) go nationwide

​For two years I've been wondering when Coors would decide to start canning its once-formidable-but-now-somewhat watered-down Blue Moon. The Belgian-style wit beer is perfect for summer, falling somewhere between standard canned beer fare like Coors, Bud and PBR and heavier canned micros lik ... More >>

Blue Moon: Colorado's beer of presidents, flight attendants

Steve Slater's beer of choice?​Blue Moon, the Belgian-style wit beer that was created inside Coors Field in 1995, is apparently also highly valued for its calming qualities. First it was requested by James Crowley during President Obama's August 2009 beer summit on racial relations on the Whi ... More >>

Smashburger goes green -- with green chiles

Imagine this topped with green chiles -- smashing!​Smashburger got its start here in Colorado in 2007, and since then the local chain has been a smashing success as it expanded into other markets, often offering up regional variations on the their great burger formula. Now, finally, Smashburg ... More >>

Aurora burger lovers get a serving from Smashburger

The classic Smashburger and Smash fries waiting to win you over ​ Attention, Aurora residents: Your wait for the "better burger" is almost over! Smashburger will open its ninth metro location tomorrow at 2630 South Parker Road. Taking its name from the cooking method, a Smashburger is either a ... More >>

How much do I love the Counter? After a year, I'm still counting the ways

Living in Burger Utopia: A preview of this week's food section

Mark Manger​ I believe that a great cheeseburger can change your life. Depending on the circumstances, depending on the time, the place, the company or lack thereof, your age and, most important, depending on the cheeseburger itself, a truly great one can alter your fate, leave you feeling ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, September 1 edition

Drooling yet?​Mr. Ryan, you have my gratitude. Today in Cafe Society: • Meet Mr. Burger: Tom Ryan of Smashburger. • Fantasy football party deals abound in Denver. • Stomp Them Grapes moving north. • Otto's is outta Market Street. • End of summer pinot party tonight at Lala's Wine Ba ... More >>

Smashburger's a smash

​Nation's Restaurant News, the bible of the food-industry world, has just named Smashburger, a homegrown burger joint that rated our Best Local Chain in the Best of Denver 2008, a 2009 Hot Concept. "We are both honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award from Nation's Restaurant Ne ... More >>

Colorado beer drinkers have a crush on cans

It's American Craft Beer Week - seven days that even the United States Congress felt should be set aside for one purpose and one purpose only: drinking micro brews. (To find out about tappings, food pairings and other events, click here or here.) But Colorado's beer culture is worth a deeper look s ... More >>

Icon Burger Gets Smashed

Icon Burger Gets Smashed

Cow Town

Culver's and Smashburger have other buns on the run.