“It’s Not a POS, It’s an ERP”: Nash & Smashed Picks Qu to Power Its Next Wave of Franchise Growth

The 35-location brand brings franchisee stores online quickly, while raising check sizes at new kiosk locations

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nash & Smashed, the fast-growing franchise known for hand-smashed burgers and halal-certified Nashville hot chicken, has selected Qu’s intelligent commerce platform to run its restaurants as it expands. Founded less than three years ago, the brand now has 35 franchise locations with more in the pipeline, including new markets in Richmond and Delaware.

Each Qu-powered location runs on one connected platform that covers front-counter POS, self-order kiosks, kitchen display, first-party online ordering, third-party delivery, and Qu Pay. The connected data platform matters for a brand where about 40 percent of orders are digital, and most of those come through its own website.

"It's not a POS, it's an ERP solution for everything," said Lamaan Malik, Chief Operating Officer at Nash & Smashed. "Every time we needed something customized, from tiered menus to how orders hit the kitchen, the Qu team turned it around fast. We're not just running stores on Qu; we're growing the business on it."

Nash & Smashed CEO M.N. Abbasi first saw Qu as a guest. Impressed with how it worked, he told his team to skip the usual short list of POS providers and talk to Qu. After a single product demo, the Nash & Smashed team was ready to move.

Nash & Smashed had been on a plug-and-play POS that installed quickly but left gaps. It didn’t track leakage or theft, offered little menu or upsell flexibility, and had limited reporting. Qu goes much deeper, and the brand chose that depth on purpose.

To make that depth easy to adopt, Qu paired Nash & Smashed with a dedicated team who built the menus, handled customization requests, and guided the franchise through each launch, for a smooth change management process. In Qu’s lab, franchisees could test the system, ask questions, and shape the rollout before their own stores went live. Owners now get detailed performance reports and analytics across their stores.

Qu’s flexible menu tools let Nash & Smashed design tiered offers that weren’t possible before. The previous system supported one meal size and a flat add-on. With Qu, cross-sells and upsells are easier. Early results show meaningfully higher check sizes, with new kiosk-led locations seeing check averages up to 70 percent higher than the brand’s older stores.

“Nash & Smashed is building a big brand fast, and they need a partner who can keep up without cutting corners,” said Steve Melamed, Chief Revenue Officer at Qu. “Our team works side by side with franchisees to configure the platform around how they run their business, so every new store opens ready to perform. Seeing their guests trade up on the kiosk and their owners get a real view into kitchen performance is what serving smarter looks like. We’re proud to be part of their growth.”

“Once I saw the functionality, I stopped the sales rep in the middle of the meeting and said, ‘I’m sold,’” Malik added. “The onboarding process was the most detailed I’ve seen, but the team made the whole experience easy. If you’re a growing brand thinking about Qu, close your eyes and just say yes.”

Nash & Smashed is also looking at Qu for future concepts as its franchise system grows with new franchises across the country. New Nash & Smashed restaurants will be opening on Qu. Hungry to see it in action? Stop by Nash & Smashed in Arlington, Pimmit Hills, or Virginia Beach, Va., and order a hand-smashed burger or Nashville hot chicken right from the Qu kiosk, with Hyattsville, MD, coming soon. Find a location near you at nashandsmashed.com.

About Qu

Qu is the intelligent commerce platform helping quick-service and fast-casual restaurants boost efficiency and grow revenue. Purpose-built from the ground up with smart cloud technology, Qu puts real-time intelligence where it’s needed most—right in the restaurant—through its proprietary Business Edge, Qube. The result: streamlined operations, stronger margins, and memorable guest experiences.

On a mission to propel restaurants beyond today’s limitations, Qu is a long-term technology partner trusted to deliver solutions that are as reliable as they are revolutionary, and as intuitive as they are impactful.

Based in Arlington, Virginia, Qu is backed by leading restaurant entrepreneurs and investors, including Cota Capital, Enlightened Hospitality Investments, Bobby Cox Companies, and NRD Capital. Learn more at qubeyond.com.

About Nash & Smashed

Nash & Smashed is a fast-growing restaurant franchise built around hand-smashed burgers and halal-certified Nashville hot chicken. Founded in February 2024 and headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, the brand is rooted in a “Fresh. Pure. Local.” philosophy. The brand has grown to 35 locations in under three years, with more than 50 additional locations in development. Learn more at nashandsmashed.com.