New Smashburger in Wheaton invites you to VIP event

A new burger restaurant in Wheaton wants you to come in and see what it has to offer during a free VIP event. But first, you must go online to enter a drawing.

Denver-based Smashburger will open its sixth location in the area at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, at 1 Rice Lake Square in Wheaton, near the northeast corner of Butterfield and Naperville roads.

But a VIP event the night before will give a select group a chance to try things out early. For a chance to win an invite, visit smashburger.com/sneakpeek.php. Winners will be notified by email.

“It’s a way of introducing Smashburger to the local community,” said the chain’s chief operating officer, Greg Creighton. “We like to invite dignitaries and people from the surrounding area and allows us to introduce the product and brand.”

The 4-year-old chain now has 110 restaurants in 20 different markets and includes regional offerings in each of its locations. The restaurant specializes in burgers but the entire menu will be available for the three-hour VIP event, which starts at 5 p.m.

“It’s been exciting for the team to see the level of acceptance we have gotten when we come into the community,” he said.

The drawing will be limited to about 220 people and reservations will be spaced out in 15-minute increments.

“We’re trying to become that favorite burger place for those communities,” Creighton said. “It’s important that we reach out to the community right around the stores and introduce them to ourselves and our product.”