TL;DR
Smalls Sliders has opened locations at the University of Central Florida and the University of Mississippi, marking the brand's debut on college campuses. The brand's concept is well-suited for high-volume environments and busy students, with a focus on speed, convenience, and quality.
The two openings showcase the versatility of the Smalls Sliders concept while bringing the brand directly into the heart of two vibrant campus communities. At UCF, Smalls will introduce a new traditional dining room format, offering students, faculty, and visitors a new way to experience the brand, while the Ole Miss location will bring Smalls into the action inside the university’s basketball arena.
College campuses represent a natural extension for Smalls Sliders, as its streamlined operations and emphasis on speed and convenience are well suited for busy students and high-volume environments. The locations will serve the brand’s signature fresh, cooked-to-order sliders alongside seasoned waffle fries, hand-spun shakes and signature Smauce®.
“Smalls Sliders is a perfect fit for college campuses because our model is built around the accessibility and craveability that align with how students live and dine,” said Ryan Crumley, Chief Development Officer of Smalls Sliders. “Our focused menu and streamlined operations translate well to high-traffic environments, while the energy of the brand fits naturally within campus culture. UCF and Ole Miss are exciting first steps as we explore opportunities to bring Smalls to more collegiate communities nationwide.”
The openings also represent the latest evolution of Smalls Sliders’ development strategy. While the brand’s iconic Smorange™ Can remains at the center of its growth, Smalls is continuing to explore opportunities that allow the concept to enter new trade areas and meet guests where they already live, work and gather. The UCF and Ole Miss locations demonstrate how the brand can adapt its footprint to a variety of environments while maintaining its recognizable identity and focused menu.
Smalls Sliders serves fresh, cooked-to-order sliders, seasoned waffle fries, and hand-spun milkshakes from its signature Smorange™-colored shipping containers, called “Cans.” This deliberately simple menu, focused on quality and speed, has propelled the brand from its first location in 2019 to more than 55 Cans open and hundreds in development across 30 states, attracting experienced multi-brand franchisees nationwide.
Smalls Sliders is one of the fastest-growing brands in the restaurant industry, specializing exclusively in fresh, cooked-to-order sliders that are small in size but big in taste. Smalls Sliders is the brainchild of restaurateur visionary Brandon Landry and is backed by 10 Point Capital and former NFL star Drew Brees as investors. For more information on how Smalls Sliders is the biggest thing to happen to burgers since buns, visit www.smallssliders.com.
As a fast-growing concept dedicated to serving fresh, cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders, the Smalls Sliders franchise opportunity brings real estate flexibility and rapid construction of new restaurants with its unique modular design.
In this story
This story was originally published in Franchising.com on September 15, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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