After the pandemic, many virtual brands were tried and failed. Here’s a story about one that not only came to life as a brick and mortar, it's preparing for growth.
Paul Sandhu was an owner of a Holiday Inn in Tacoma, Wash., that went through a renovation in 2018. At the time, he added a restaurant concept that Holiday Inn had developed called Toast to Toast. It was a limited-service, all-day concept, offering everything from toast in the morning to drinks in the evening—hence the name.
Sandhu’s hotel was the first in the country to try Toast to Toast. It was a good concept, he said. But it just never really took off.
So Sandhu decided to try something else.
The child of immigrants who had come to the U.S. from India, Sandhu grew up in a Punjabi household where dishes familiar to Americans would tend to be spiced up a bit.
“We grew up having a fusion version of pasta, pizza, burgers—everything,” he said.
After poking around a bit at various segments, Sandhu decided to try his hand at smashburgers. In 2024, he launched what was initially a virtual brand out of his Holiday Inn kitchen featuring a menu of spiced up smashburgers, sauces, shakes and wings. He called it Secret Burger Kitchen, because there was no real signage or marketing. It was all word of mouth.
And people loved it.
In fact, Secret Burger as a virtual brand quickly outperformed the Toast to Toast in the hotel. Sandhu was able to convince Holiday Inn to give a waiver to allow Secret Burger to take over the space.
Within a year, Sandhu realized he had something unique that could scale. The first brick-and-mortar Secret Burger opened in May 2025, becoming location No. 2.
Now a third location is scheduled to open next month, with No. 4 to follow in September and No. 5 coming in October—all in Washington state.
Once those five company-owned units are open, the chain plans to officially begin franchising next year, though disclosure documents are already filed and ready.
Sandhu, now CEO of Secret Burger, brought in longtime friend Amit Jouhal as a partner, and his nephew Mandeep Sandhu.
He also brought in a trio of veteran restaurant operators to help prepare the fast-casual brand for growth.
David Bloom, the former chief development and chief operating officer of Capriotti’s, is a stakeholder and strategic advisor. So is Brad Haley, a longtime marketer who has worked with Dave’s Hot Chicken, IHOP and CKE (Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s).
Doug Fry, the former president of Subway North America, is also a strategic advisor, Sandhu said.
“They’re giving us the right advice to do this and do it right,” he said. “So when we open the floodgates, we’ll be ready.”
Going from hotels to restaurants was a learning curve, he admits. But Sandhu also brings a different perspective to the table.
The longtime hotel operator had also acquired some cannabis dispensaries, a heavily regulated industry that operated in what Sandhu described as the Wild West, he said. With cannabis, there were no traditional marketing options.
“We had to learn how to really turn our customers into our marketing, and into our tribe, and get them to really tell other people that we’re here,” he said.
What has made Secret Burger stand out is the thinly smashed four-ounce patties of ground Angus chuck, griddled so the edges are audibly crisp, or what some call meat lace. There are proprietary seasonings and sauces, all made in-house (except the ranch and Buffalo).
A cute marketing twist is the way guests can add their sauces.
Rather than a traditional dip cup, Secret Burger delivers sauces in a syringe, so guests can literally inject sauce where it’s needed (there’s no dangerous needle, though). Some stab right through the bun, while others squeeze a bit onto each bite. It makes it more shareable—there’s no double-dipping. And guests can take the syringe home.
@regjones20 📍SECRET BURGER KITCHEN 💣💣💣 Those burgers tho!😱 @Secret Burger Kitchen | Smash #TacomaRestaurant#BestRestaurant#FoodTacoma#FoodSeattle#FoodTikTok♬ original sound - RegJones20
“It’s an adult Happy Meal,” said Sandhu. “You can inject more flavor right into your burger or sauce up your wings.”
The shakes also have creative cereal toppings, and there are dirty sodas, wine and beer.
The average check is about $16 to $18. Guests order at a digital kiosk, but humans serve as “vibe ambassadors” to ensure people feel welcome and seen, said Sandhu.
That’s a key element, he said.
After years in the hotel industry, Sandhu believes there’s a difference between offering customer service and true hospitality.
Customer service is getting people in and taking care of them. Hospitality is providing an experience, making people feel connected and going above and beyond, said Sandhu.
“Even though we are QSR, if you look at our reviews on Google and such, you’ll see how people say they really enjoy the experiences. Our staff will really connect with them, take time to talk with them. People, first of all, feel seen, valued and heard,” he said. “Those things really add up."