Ресторатор Джеймс Круз открывает сеть Smash-бургеров в Южной Пасадене вместе с 16-летней дочерью

For James Kruse, South Pas Smash isn’t just monetary and getting out the finest quality items for customers to enjoy. It is about the life-long memories and working alongside family; more specifically, his 16 year-old daughter, Kya Kruse. “She works really hard and to be honest with you, I couldn’t pay someone $90,000 a year to do what she does.” Kruse stated, “She’s just a great kid, it’s a big reason why I do it.” What started off as the South Pasadena Supper Club held at the formerly named Fiore Market, now Picadilly Grace, turned into an out-of-window service just down the street from their original pop-up location. With 25 years of restaurant experience, Kruse has been in the culinary industry for quite some time, previously working alongside professionals such as Nancy Silverton, Vinny Dotolo, Suzanne Goin and at Animal Restaurant. Working with these professionals, Kruse said, gave him the urge to further elevate the night traffic of the culinary scene in South Pasadena. The Culinary Vision South Pas Smash now serves customers along El Centro Street, between Meridian Avenue and Diamond Avenue. Customers will find themselves face to face with a carefully curated menu that includes smash burgers, fried sandwiches, french fries, onion rings and other menu collaborations from friendly colleagues. Kruse was able to jump-start his business by taste-testing all of his friends and bouncing ideas off of each other. Through learning and doing, he was able to come up with a solution where he is hands-on with his work and products. Scroll to continue reading “I had a lot of people on my side who spread out their wealth and knowledge and applied it to what we were doing,” said Kruse. Drawing inspiration from Pie ‘n Burger, located in Pasadena, helped them turn their concept into reality for the customers. Those who decide to take a trip to South Pasadena will find themselves face-to-face with a smash burger-infused menu, including some of their best-selling items: the OG Smash, Billionaire Bacon Burger and, Kruse’s favorite, the Fried Chicken Sando. Main items can be accompanied by sides, such as crinkle cut fries, cheese fries and onion rings, just to name a few. The Man Behind the Burger Kruse moved to South Pasadena with his daughter three years ago from the nearby neighbouring city of El Sereno. He explains that he’s always been a part of the South Pasadena community and moved in for his daughter to attend South Pasadena High School. Working with Kya has been his greatest joy in getting to create this brand from the ground up. He describes her as his muse and reason for working so hard. Kruse is inspired by his daughter every time she steps into the kitchen to work harder and serves as his reminder that culinary is not just selling food, but family as well. “I get to build it with her, and it’s probably the best thing ever.” said Kruse. He thrives on making his workers feel at home and comfortable in his workspace. No hierarchy, just the love of food and shared passion for what they are doing together. In regard to South Pas Smash’s future, Kruse has new projects on the horizon to expand his business across the nation, currently looking into storefront options in different states.