Smashburger, a Denver-based burger chain, will open its first international locations next year in the Middle East, said chief executive officer David Prokupek. Smashburger has signed agreements to open 17 stores in Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Prokupek said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. The stores, which won’t serve alcohol or pork, will begin opening in 2012, he said.So-called fast-casual restaurants, where consumers typically order at the counter and watch as the food is prepared, “are not as well developed outside the US,” said Prokupek, who is also chairman of the company. “Most of the US leaders in fast casual are only starting to expand.” Smashburger, which competes with fast-casual chains Chipotle Mexican Grill and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, serves Angus-beef burgers, salads, hot dogs and milkshakes. Smashburger is owned by private- equity firm Consumer Capital Partners in Denver. The burger chain is still focused on expanding in the US and may grow to “a couple thousand units” during the next eight years, Prokupek said. The chain has 118 US stores now with plans to have 150 by the end of this year. From / Arabian Business News