A burger chain with the backing of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is about to make its debut in deep South Texas.
Smalls Sliders, the burger joint known for serving a “hyper-focused menu of cheeseburger sliders from a… shipping container,” will soon open four locations, which the company calls “cans,” in the Rio Grande Valley.
The NFL star-backed burger concept is being brought to the Valley through a franchise agreement with local entrepreneur Manny Saldivar and his business partners, Carlos and Yazmin Hinojosa, according to Franchising.com, a website dedicated to the franchise industry. The group is eyeing the Valley’s largest and oldest city, Brownsville, for the first Smalls Sliders location. Ultimately, they will expand with at least three more franchise locations in Harlingen and McAllen.
Smalls Sliders was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2019 by Brandon Landry, who also founded Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux in partnership with Brees. Atlanta, Georgia-based private equity firm 10 Point Capital is also a major owner of the two restaurant brands. Brees, the longtime Saints’ signal-caller, signed on as an early investor and part-owner of the new burger concept, which sought to capitalize on a simplified menu and a small physical footprint. At only about 800 square feet, a restaurant housed in a shipping container requires only about half an acre of space to accommodate parking and ordering, the company said.
“The shipping containers are equipped with walk-up windows, drive-thru lanes, and outdoor patios in lieu of indoor dining rooms,” the company states on its website.
The Smalls Sliders menu offers diners a limited selection of 1 to 4 made-to-order “sliders,” or small cheeseburgers, served in combos with fries, soft drinks, and milkshakes.
It’s that simple concept that attracted Saldivar and his business partners to opening the first Smalls Sliders in the Valley.
“They do one thing, and they do it right, and that really stood out to us,” Saldivar said.
Already, Smalls Sliders boasts nearly a dozen locations across the Lone Star State, including one that opened on Wednesday, June 17, at 3103 Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, TX 78238. And just last month, the company was recognized as one of the fastest-growing brands in the United States.