DENVER – Smashburger promoted Michael Nolan to president and CEO of the company. Nolan joined Smashburger in February as executive vice president and chief development officer in charge of the development (real estate, construction, design and facilities), franchise sales, IT and strategy departments.

Mike Nolan, CEO of Smashburger

Nolan succeeds Scott Crane, who joined Smashburger in 2007. Crane became CEO of the company in 2013.

Nolan brings 25 years of industry experience to the post. He most recently served as executive vice president and chief development officer at Corner Bakery. He also held executive level positions at Bloomin’ Brands, where he led the company’s restaurant development strategy for more than 1,500 locations across 26 countries. Nolan also held executive roles at Panera Bread.

“Michael has a great history with the Smashburger brand and a great career delivering unparalleled food and hospitality experiences for customers around the world,” Rick Schaden, chairman and co-founder of Smashburger, said in a statement. “Michael’s experience and perspective will be instrumental as we evolve from a regional player to a food first global brand.”

Smashburger currently operates and is developing more than 365 locations across the United States, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Canada, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.