Poke House founders want to open 20 SmashVille burger joints and invest 2 million

After opening the Poke House chain in Portugal , entrepreneurs Duarte Costa and Francisco Nobre Guedes, together with Fernando Costa, are now launching a new venture: the SmashVille burger chain. By the end of next year, they want to have 20 stores open, creating between 160 and 200 jobs, with an initial investment of two million euros.

“SmashVille was born during a trip to Italy, where we first came across the smash burger phenomenon. After taking our first bite, it was immediately clear that we had to bring this product to Portugal, as it was something truly different from what we are used to seeing, and you only understand it by trying it,” explains Fernando Costa, one of the founding partners with Duarte Costa and Francisco Nobre Guedes, to ECO.

“It is a more indulgent, mass market product with the potential to grow rapidly. The smash burger is a rapidly growing international trend, and we felt that it had not yet been explored in Portugal with the intensity and clarity that we wanted to bring, especially in shopping malls , where Poke House is more present,” continues the manager.

The new chain is entering a market where there is no shortage of operators, such as McDonald's, Burger King or more premium offerings such as H3 or Honorato. What's new? “We want to position SmashVille as a clear, irreverent and unpretentious brand. The experience is simple, fast and tasty with a focus on the product. Our ingredients are fresh and premium — the meat comes from Italy, the bread comes from Pennsylvania (USA) and the potatoes come from Holland. Each burger is made in front of the customer”, explains Fernando Costa. “It's a brand with a strong visual image, designed for the digital world and for an audience that values ​​authenticity”, reinforces the founding partner responsible for the brand's communication.

Expansion plans

The first two burger joints are already operating . “For now, the priority is shopping centers, where we can test and scale quickly. The first two locations are open — Atrium Saldanha and Amoreiras — and we are about to open the next three, in Almada Forum, CascaiShopping and Campo Novo ,” says Fernando Costa.

“The high street will eventually be part of the equation, but at a later stage . The plan is to continue working on new openings this year and have 20 stores by the end of 2026,” he reveals. “ We are working to have 10 stores open in the short term, and 20 in the medium term. The initial investment is around 2 million euros ,” he says.

It will be an investment of its own, with the use of franchising to accelerate expansion being assessed at a later stage of the project. “ In this initial phase, all stores will be owned . We want to ensure consistency in product, service and environment. Further down the line, we may consider franchising — but only with a very well-tested base. The focus now is on fine-tuning the concept with full operational control ,” explains Fernando Costa.

The chain could create between 160 and 200 jobs by 2026. “Each store creates, on average, between 8 and 10 direct jobs. With the first two stores, we are already generating around 20 jobs, in addition to the offices (10). By the end of the year, we expect to have 65 employees”, says the founding partner.

The brand was launched by two of the Portuguese partners of Poke House, a chain that in 2020 was invested in by Poke House Italia, owned by Matteo Pichi and Vittoria Zanetti. “Poke House continues to grow: there are currently 26 stores and three new openings are underway — Alegro Sintra, Algarve Shopping and Campo Novo,” says Fernando Costa.