We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Valdivieso and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk can be a scary word. But it can also mean opportunity and reward. Isn’t that the old saying? No risk, no reward. And it’s true. My husband, Victor, and I took a risk with the food truck, and four years later, here we are taking a risk with our own brick-n-mortar. Risk is also having faith in yourself, your process and your product. If you believe in what you have created and work hard, not giving up, it will pay off. And I believe that will be the case with our restaurant. At least that is the hope I will always tell myself. I don’t believe in failure, but an opportunity to learn from something. I wouldn’t even call it mistakes. Life is a learning process, some things work out and some don’t, but it is never a bad thing if it doesn’t. I would rather have tried and it not work out, than not have tried at all, looking back 40 years from now, asking what if or saying I wish I had tried. The trying is in the present. You are in control of your own destiny – make the most of it. So far the risk has paid off for both of us!

What should our readers know about your business?
It all really started with Victor’s Lab, our food truck. Four years ago we went on the road, and not even two months into serving the engine blew. We had to take an equity line out to pay for it, afraid our dreams had been shattered, but we knew it was what we wanted to do so instead of quitting, we fixed it and moved forward. It took a few years to pay off but was well worth it. Fast forward to the present – because we persevered, we now have Smashley’s Burger Bar! We wanted Smashley’s Burger Bar to feel like you were walking into a restaurant in a big city – from the vibe to the way you order and get your food to the food options, and we think we succeeded. It wasn’t easy. Not only is it expensive to own a small business in Charleston (hence why we decided to open in North Charleston), but when all you had before was a food truck, it isn’t enough from a banking standpoint to give someone money to grow. So we went through the Small Business Administration, which they loved us and were so willing to help make us successful, but thankfully we were able to figure out a way to go out on a limb and come up with the money on our own without outside investors or bankers. And the process of renting a space and flipping it to be your brand comes with its own bucket list of challenges. But we just had to keep moving forward. Giving up was not an option in our minds, and here we are six months later with a lot of great feedback on the food and ambiance. And we hope to keep going for many years to come! We are just at the beginning!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would of course have to start with dinner at Smashley’s Burger Bar, then a drink as the sun was going down over the city at the Restoration Hotel rooftop bar. One day would have to be breakfast at Millers All Day (either location is great, although I love the James Island one personally), then window shopping along with some real shopping down King Street and the Market, and of course Rainbow Row. Always down for some lunch tacos at Rebel Taco near Park Circle and the shipyards, and a nice cold beer at The Garden by Charlestown Fermentory. Nothing is more Lowcountry in my mind than Bowens Island Restaurant for some fried seafood and a beautiful sunset view. Of course we can’t forget about coffee – a cortado at Orange Spot Coffee, then off to any of our wonderful beaches (if we go to Folly, Chico Feo is a must stop for some time out of the sun) or a kayak tour, whether its Shem Creek or maybe Edisto Beach with Kings Market just down the street to take home a pie or two and some boiled peanuts for the road. And a trip to Charleston wouldn’t be complete without a drink and maybe some brunch at Blind Tiger. For me, what a great week!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I think for Victor and I, we thank each other. We met in our 30s, both coming off of a long line of career moves and relationships. We are great partners, personally and professionally. We both had big dreams before each other, but with each other we are making those dreams come true. We would not be where we are without each other.

Website: www.smashleysburgerbar.com

Instagram: @smashleysburgerbar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Smashleys-Burger-Bar-100090593891468/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/smashleys-burger-bar-north-charleston-2 

 

Image Credits
Jonathon Stout

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