- Insiders Profile -
Founder of Street Smash
Beatriz Santillana is the founder of Street Smash, the leading smash burger brand in Portugal and one of the most desired burger joints in Europe. Born in Portugal and now operating in Italy and Switzerland, Street Smash has grown into a brand with a strong cultural connection, combining quality, design, music, open kitchens, and perfectly executed smash burgers.
For Beatriz, Street Smash is much more than a business. It is her baby, a project she protects with obsession, precision, and an almost perfectionist eye for every detail. Her obsession with quality is present in everything, from the product and technique to the atmosphere, the team, and the customer experience.
As Street Smash continues to expand across Europe, it stands out for its clear identity, strong community, and ability to create a brand people genuinely want to be part of.
◆ What inspired you to launch Street Smash, and what opportunity did you see in Lisbon’s food scene at the time?
Street was born from the idea of creating a burger joint where quality was at the centre of everything. We wanted to build a place with a great product, strong design, energy, music, open kitchens, and a young, creative spirit.
When we looked at Lisbon, we felt there was space for a smash burger concept that combined a high-quality product with a very clear brand experience. Lisbon already had a very exciting food scene, but we saw an opportunity to bring something more focused, more visual, and more energetic, always with the customer at the centre.
◆ If you had to describe Street Smash in just three words, what would they be?
Quality, energy, and creativity.
◆ Smash burgers have become a global phenomenon in recent years. What do you think makes a truly great smash burger?
A truly great smash burger starts with quality. The meat blend, the perfect fat ratio, the griddle temperature, the technique, the timing, the bun, the cheese, the pickles, the onion, the sauce — every detail matters. When you create something simple, every detail needs to be perfect. That is what makes the difference between a normal burger and a really great one.
◆ Street Smash has developed a strong identity in a relatively short period of time. What do you think has resonated most with your customers?
I think customers connect with the full Street experience. Of course, the burger has to be great, and quality is always the base, but people also feel the energy of the brand.
The open kitchens, the design, the team, the visual identity, the way the product is served, everything is part of the experience. We are very transparent. Our kitchens are open, our team is visible, and we are always present in the restaurants and at the events. I think customers value that a lot. There is nothing hidden. They can see the product, the process, and the people behind it.
Street feels young, creative, and alive, but at the same time, very focused on doing things properly. I believe what has resonated most is that customers feel they are not just buying a burger. They are entering a world with a very clear identity, where the product, the space, the team, and the atmosphere all work together.
◆ Building a hospitality brand goes far beyond the food itself. How would you describe the culture and philosophy behind Street Smash?
Street’s philosophy is very simple: quality first, customer always, and energy in everything we do. I am personally very perfectionistic and very obsessive with Street. It is my baby, and I protect it and take care of it as such. That means being present in the details, questioning everything, and always trying to make the product, the experience, the design, and the operation better.
Transparency is also very important to us. We have open kitchens, and we are proud of what we do. We have nothing to hide. We want customers to see the process, the team, and the care behind every burger.
We are very demanding with the product, with the operations, with the design, and with the way the customer experiences the brand. We want Street to feel fun, creative, but mainly very well executed. Culture is a huge part of that. We want to build teams that care, that understand the standards, and that bring good energy to the restaurants every day. For us, hospitality is about making people feel good.
◆ Looking back, what has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an entrepreneur, and what did it teach you?
The biggest challenge has been growing quickly while protecting the quality, consistency, and identity of the brand.
Street is my baby, so every opening, every detail, every customer experience, and every decision matters a lot to me. Sometimes the challenge is learning how to grow without losing that level of care and obsession that made the brand special in the first place.
When you grow, everything becomes more complex: people, operations, suppliers, training, communication, design, and customer experience. It taught me that quality has to be protected every day, in every small decision.
It also taught me that a strong brand needs a strong culture behind it. You need to be very clear about your standards and surround yourself with people who care about the details as much as you do.
◆ What has been the most rewarding moment of your journey with Street Smash so far?
The most rewarding part has been seeing customers connect with Street beyond the product. People ask us to be part of important moments in their lives, from birthdays to weddings, and that is very special.
Street is something I care for and protect every day, so seeing people understand it, feel it, and make it part of their own lives is incredibly rewarding. We also spend a lot of time in the restaurants, so recognising customers and seeing them come back again and again is probably one of the most rewarding feelings.
It is also very rewarding to see the team grow and understand the vision. Street started as an idea, and now it has become something that many people are building every day with us. It makes me extremely happy to see our team, many of them now friends, feel that the brand is also theirs and be proud of what we are building together.
◆ Looking beyond burgers, what are some food trends or concepts currently inspiring you?
I am very inspired by food concepts that are simple, creative, and extremely well executed. Concepts that know exactly what they are, have a strong product, and build a full experience around it. I always try to understand the strategy and the people behind a brand.
I also love brands that combine food with design, music, fashion, culture, and lifestyle. For me, the future of hospitality is not only about what people eat, but also about how they feel inside the space and how they connect with the brand.
Somehow, even if tomorrow I had a beauty brand, I would still find a way to connect it with food. Food creates emotion, memories, and community, and that inspires me a lot.
◆ If a friend was visiting Lisbon for only 24 hours, where would you send them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a drink?
For breakfast, I would send them somewhere simple and local for a good coffee and pastry, because Lisbon mornings are very special. I love Heim Café. For lunch, I would choose a traditional Portuguese place or somewhere by the sea for fish or seafood. I always repeat Furnas do Guincho. For dinner, I would send them to Street, to our place in Anjos, to have a burger, and then go behind to our speakeasy, The 44, where we have amazing cocktails and the best vibe.
◆ Finally, what exciting projects, collaborations, or plans can we expect from Street Smash next?
Honestly, I could not even list the number of things we are working on right now. We are focused on expansion, both in Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland, and also in a new country in 2026.
At the same time, we are working on many collaborations, campaigns, and events. Our team is creative and energetic, as I said before. They have big dreams, and we do our best to make them happen. The most important thing for us is that every next step still feels true to Street: quality, creativity, energy, and always the customer at the centre.
