Small Sliders Opening in 21 States (Is Yours One?)

While the name "Burger King" implies a fast-food monarchy, consumer push-back on rising prices has created a restaurant showdown as companies struggle to stay on top. 

National brands are racing to develop value meals that will tempt customers' wallets, but smaller regional chains are eyeing the battle over food prices as an opportunity for expansion. Now, Smalls Sliders, a small burger chain, is poised to make a surprisingly big impact with an unusual strategy. 

Smalls Sliders currently has 290 locations under development across 21 states, pushing an aggressive expansion plan that could upend the fast-food hierarchy. Learn about its unique business quirk that allows it to open so quickly and find out if it's coming to a city near you. 

Smalls Sliders doesn't open regular restaurants; they open "cans" — modular pre-fabricated buildings that can be dropped right on site and are nearly ready to go. 

This makes new openings a rapid process and facilitates their ability to move forward with opening 40 new locations in 2024 and 250 more in the development process. The "cans" look similar to modified shipping containers and offer only 750 square feet of space, the business equivalent of the tiny pre-fab house movement. 

Smalls Sliders opened its first "can" in Baton Rouge in 2019 and has since expanded to 14 locations throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. The restaurant chain focuses on a compact menu, offering only burger sliders, waffle fries, and milkshakes. 

They've remained focused on small locations that are quick to "build" and keep their menu small and tight, allowing for this rapid growth opportunity while the rest of the quick-service restaurant industry is in upheaval. 

Smalls Sliders has 26 locations scheduled for opening very soon in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas. They've also announced this year that nine "cans" are slated to open in North Carolina and six in Oklahoma. 

The complete list of open and soon-to-open locations can be found on Smalls Sliders' website, but at this rate, it won't be long till they're in every city. 

Modular locations may be the solution many restaurants need for expansion, offering a quick alternative to time-consuming new construction. The consumer trend is leaning away from dining in restaurants and moving more towards getting take-out — a trend that was always especially true for fast food, where few want to hang out inside to eat. 

Smalls Sliders may have a short menu, but what they do offer has been a success with diners. Their modular build-style allows them to expand rapidly and outpace traditional fast-food location expansion. 

Outpacing the competition is only part of the battle for new chain restaurants, though, as many consumers are still wary of high prices and looking to stretch their fast-food budget further. The success of the expansion may come down to whether or not their prices are competitive for the quality of food served.