A Fresno burger joint is getting such “good buzz” that it’s opening its 5th location in 2 years.

Smashburgers Hammy turns 2 years old – and this week announced plans to open a fifth location.

The popular restaurant, which specializes in burgers smashed thin and crispy with metal tools, opened at Shaw and Blythe avenues near Costco two years ago this month.

It created such a sensation that several more locations have since been added.

Another one was announced this week, this time in northeast Fresno. There are plans to open a restaurant at Cedar and Shepard avenues, in the same shopping center as Vons.

The restaurant has taken over Flackers hot chicken a space that has closed. If all goes according to plan, Hammy’s will open before the end of November, owner Hamza “Hammy” Ahmed said.

“We hope to open before the holidays,” he said. “This will be our Christmas gift to Fresno.”

This will be Hammy’s fifth location.

His second one is in Los Angeles.

The other three are all on Shaw Avenue: In addition to the original on the city’s west side, he opened a Clovis restaurant next to Walmart and another near the Fashion Fair Mall, in the former Pita Grill at the corner of Shaw Avenue and First Street. .

Why so much and so quickly?

Ahmed said he doesn’t intend to open this latest one so quickly. But a real estate broker friend called and offered the perfect space.

“He had a location that was perfect for Hammy’s because there aren’t any burger joints in the entire area,” he said. “I fell in love with this place.”

The smashburger trend is also picking up steam in Fresno (Bistro Smash Bros., Smash ‘n’ Burgers And Main Street Burgers all have recently opened).

Hammy’s has a solid reputation and a large following.

Said one Yelp.com reviewer: “I’m a sucker for good hype places. Hammy’s definitely has a lot of hype and it lives up to it 100%!”

On the restaurant review site, the restaurant has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars and 350 reviews.

Ahmed said it’s all about the customers.

“The Fresno community has honestly done everything for us, supporting us all this time,” he said. “If it weren’t for them, we would still be in the same place.”

Any more in the works?

“Not anytime soon,” he said. “I think I have my hands full, but eventually we want to expand to other cities so they can learn from Hammy’s experience as well.”