How Skinny Louie Went From One Spot to 10 Locations | Gonzalo Rubino

Gonzalo Rubino brought Miami its first proper smashburger joint — and in just two years, Skinny Louie has grown to 10 locations in Miami and NYC.

In this episode, he walks us through the full journey, from the original concept and branding to the smashing technique, the philosophy behind keeping only 3 burgers on the menu, and how they're scaling without losing what makes them special.

We also get into the grand opening, celebrity visits, Burger Bash, managing multiple locations, competition, and how Wynwood has changed since they first opened.

This is what building a Miami food brand from scratch actually looks like.

Manny Alfonso:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannyalfonso8/

Kiko Suarez:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/querikoconkiko/

Eduardo Moya:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_moya/

Follow Us! - A Day in Miami:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adayinmiami/

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/20WEys6jxiliBCLoo9iSID
________________________
Produced by: Ben Schwede
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benthecreatorrr/

0:00 Intro
0:49 About Gonzalo and His Beginnings
3:19 Skiny Louie Opportunity
4:49 Branding
7:19 Smashing Technique
8:15 Philosophy Behind Only 3 Burgers on the Menu
9:45 Market Research
10:47 Selling Bottled Louie Sauce?
11:16 Grand Opening
12:30 Marketing
13:39 Opening 10 Locations in 2 Years
14:37 Opening in NYC
17:29 Being the First Smashburger in Miami
19:26 Drive and Being Competitive
21:58 Celebrities Visiting
22:39 Burger Bash
23:45 Eduardo’s First Impression of Skinny Louie
25:28 Will They Ever Make Different Burgers?
26:33 Managing Multiple Locations
29:08 Competition
30:15 Upcoming Locations
33:40 Top 3 Restaurants
37:16 How Has Wynwood Changed
39:41 Outro