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By Jeff Cunningham

Blake Sehestedt likes to make people smile.

And there will be plenty of smiles to go around at S.B. Ballard Stadium this Saturday, Nov. 23, when Sehestedt, owner and operator of Ghost Kitchen, officially debuts the Big Blue Smash Burger.

Created in partnership with �鶹��ý, this new burger will be available for sale at the Ghost Kitchen food truck at the Monarchs’ football game against Marshall.

Sehestedt calls burgers his food truck’s “bread and butter,” and he’s been to plenty of �鶹��ý games before. Born in California, Sehestedt has deep family ties to Norfolk and has lived here on several occasions, sandwiched around attending the Culinary Institute of America and working for the Michelin star-rated Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.

Family, and Virginia’s variety of natural beauty, brought Sehestedt back—as did Norfolk’s local food scene. Seeing the University’s connections to the greater Norfolk community, and the chance to lean into that local flavor, made such a partnership a no-brainer.

“�鶹��ý is such a staple here in Norfolk,” Sehestedt said. “You’ve been in Norfolk for 10 minutes, you find out about �鶹��ý… Community is very important, and feeding people is a part of that. That’s why I got into food. Seeing a smile on people’s face, making people happy when they eat something I prepared for them.”

The Big Blue Smash Burger will feature two smashed and seared beef patties, seasoned with Big Blue Belly Rub and topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and a special mayo that incorporates both the rub and Big Blue Q barbecue sauce.

Add to that a brioche bun, hot-iron branded with either the University’s athletic crown logo or an image of Big Blue, and there’s a burger Monarch fans can really sink their teeth into.

Served with fries, the Big Blue Smash Burger will sell for $17.50. Following Saturday’s game, the burger will be available year-round at both Ghost Kitchen and Smartmouth Brewery in Norfolk, where the food truck has a permanent location.

Royalties from each sale will go to �鶹��ý’s general scholarship fund.

“That’s the coolest part,” Sehestedt said. “It makes me feel like I’m more a part of that community. I didn’t go to �鶹��ý, but it makes me feel like I have some kind of seat at the table, helping in just a small way.”

The Big Blue Smash Burger is the latest in a line of �鶹��ý-licensed consumables, in partnership with local businesses, that have provided scholarship money. Since August 2023, combined royalties from New Realm’s �鶹��ý Golden Ale, The Dirty Buffalo’s Big Blue Q and Big Blue Belly Rub, and Lolly’s Ice Cream and Cake flavor have totaled nearly $15,000.

That accounts for $377,000 in total sales.

“This launch aligns with our commitment to collaborating with local businesses to expand the �鶹��ý brand,” �鶹��ý Executive Director of Licensing Brian Eubank said. “This initiative provides our fans and community a delicious way to showcase their �鶹��ý pride while supporting local entrepreneurs and reinforcing our dedication to academic success and community growth.”

In addition to the Big Blue Smash Burger launching this weekend, Monarch Morning Roast—�鶹��ý’s branded coffee in partnership with Town Center Cold Press in Virginia Beach—is in presale and will likely hit shelves after Christmas.

Those local ties are the draw for Sehestedt, and a large part of what made this partnership so appealing. A firm believer in Norfolk’s embrace of “mom and pop” businesses, as he put it, he’s especially proud of being able to utilize The Dirty Buffalo’s sauce and dry rub in his recipe.

Creating a burger that will practically scream Norfolk and �鶹��ý.

��“(�鶹��ý is) a big presence here,” Sehestedt said, “and it’s really cool to be able to work with them, to be able to offer something that’s unique that ties back to the community.”