Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Moody.
Ashley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Paul and I (Ashley) have had other restaurant concepts in the past and have extensive resumes but the beginning of Smash is rather simple. We had heard about a new food hall coming into Knoxville but really hadn’t given it much thought.
Hospitality HQ reached out to inquire about a concept we already had contracted out with another food hall but then asked, “What other concepts do you have?” We responded, “Well, what do you need?” They needed a burger and chicken sandwich place so we said, “Done.”
On speakerphone in the front seat of our minivan, we started what is quickly becoming a national brand. That sentence still blows me away.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The wonderful people at Hospitality HQ instantly loved our concept and invited us into other markets even before Smash Knoxville was open. There have been some moments of difficulty as we have had to remix our timelines after Smash Knoxville was delayed again making Smash Omaha our first store.
Opening a business out of state is not the easiest thing to do but we have great support in HHQ and a killer team at TriAmicus Law that have walked us through the steps and helped us make connections.
We are now opening Smash Omaha and Smash Knoxville within two weeks of each other. However, the moments of stress are never greater than the moments of joy as our dreams become real life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Each of our Smash restaurants is their own entity and the names are city-specific. We wanted each location to feel local as our hearts are very much within a community.
Our menu items are all handcrafted and chef-driven, boasting house-made sauces and hand-cut fries. The star of the show is our Smash Burger but our Chicken Smash is going to be a huge hit. The Chicken Smash is like a Smash Burger but uses the perfect blend of dark and white meat ground chicken providing a lighter option than beef or fried chicken. It’s pretty killer if I do say so myself and perfectly on-brand for Smash.
As a company, we pride ourselves on being super inclusive when it comes to the outward appearance of our staff. Too often, people have turned away from jobs because of the color of their hair or the number of tattoos on their bodies. We welcome it. You are who you are and we care far more about the person on the inside and how they love others and perform at their job. A face tattoo shouldn’t stop someone from becoming great.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t stop. We have started several companies that seemingly didn’t take us anywhere but looking back, they were all minor steps taking us exactly where we needed to go. Nothing is without purpose.
You don’t have to be 20 years old to start something great! You have your whole life to follow your dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: smashknoxville.com
- Instagram: @smashknoxville @smashomaha
Image Credits
Headshot photographed by Tonya Damron Photography. Logos and branding by Kate Moore of Live Love Studio.
