1 day Ago
Monzur Ahmed is behind Smash - The Burger Joint, on Sutton Road, and is celebrating success after his first month of business. This is the second Smash restaurant, with the first restaurant opening in Dumfries, Scotland in 2023 specialising in smashed-style burgers - where fresh mince is pressed onto a hot grill - that have become an online sensation. The idea to open a restaurant in Southend came while Mr Ahmed was on holiday with his family in the area and he sensed a business opportunity for selling “simple, high quality fast food”.
Monzur Ahmed, owner of Smash – The Burger Joint, said: “Everyone I have met has been super supportive; we have had lots of return customers. “In Southend the customers really care, they want you to succeed and we are going from strength to strength. Everyone who has tried the burgers has come back and we build from word of mouth.
” Working with his aunt, who is the main chef at the restaurant, Mr Ahmed is confident the business will go from strength to strength. “I thought there is a gap in the market for good food in a decent environment,” he said. “I go to the gym, and a lot of people who go to the gym want to avoid high fat food.
“Smash burgers are really high in protein and are not as processed as a frozen burger. “It’s the perfect cheat meal that people can feel good about because it has all the components they need.” As well as smash burgers, the restaurant also offers milkshakes, waffles and doner kebabs, with meal boxes containing a selection of menu items for customers looking for variety with an emphasis on quality ingredients.
Mr Ahmed said: “It is a family-run business, the main chef is my aunt. The food is cooked with love and she really puts in 110 per cent with her own twists. “We pick up our mince every day from a butcher in London who use cuts that are perfect for smash burgers with the right ratio of fat to protein.
“We want to be the best at what we do.”.
