Eatery tied to NFL legend Drew Brees plans 5 Charleston restaurants

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Smalls Sliders, a cheeseburger slider concept, has signed a multi-unit agreement with franchise group Sandlot LLC to bring five “cans” to the Charleston area.

The company did not reveal locations for the restaurants, but they’re looking at the end of 2024 for the first can — the franchise’s name for its restaurants because of the metal shipping-container look of the finished building.

Smalls Sliders opened its first restaurant in 2019 and has since grown to nine cans throughout Louisiana, with more than 80 locations in the development pipeline, according to a news release. Smalls Sliders was the brainchild of founder Brandon Landry, with former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joining him as an initial investor, the news release said. It also is backed by industry veterans at 10 Point Capital.

The restaurant has already garnered industry recognition, with QSR magazine featuring the brand in its “40/40 List for 2022: America's Hottest Startup Fast Casuals” and its 2023 QSR 50 Contenders list. Other accolades include Nation’s Restaurant News naming the brand as one of the publication’s “Breakout Brands of 2023,” in addition to ranking on this year’s Entrepreneur magazine “Top New & Emerging Franchises” list.

The five-location agreement for the Charleston area marks entry into South Carolina. 

Sandlot LLC has extensive background in the franchising industry and was drawn to the following the Smalls Sliders brand has generated with its simple menu offerings. 

“The team behind Sandlot LLC brings an abundance of knowledge to this ownership venture, and we look forward to supporting them as they introduce the Smalls Sliders brand to the city of Charleston,” Maria Rivera, CEO of Smalls Sliders, said in the release. “This is an exciting opportunity for our continued growth across the nation as we enter a new market, and it is amazing to see dedicated franchisees like the Sandlot team play such a large role in this. I’m confident that they are the perfect fit to lead the charge and can’t wait to see them develop the first of many cans.”