“Smalls Sliders to break ground on St. Johns County location, targets mid-May opening,” read the headline of an article published today by the Jacksonville Business Journal. The long-awaited debut of the Drew Brees-backed slider chain is imminent.
Breaking ground is the familiar term for it, but Smalls Sliders has its own term of art. It’s called a Can Drop: the event when Smalls Sliders’ distinctive shipping-container-style modular structure is dropped into place.
“Our Can Drop happens on St. Patty’s Day,” said William Cone, a franchisee bringing Smalls Sliders throughout the area and beyond (up next, The Villages!), on Friday. “It builds up a lot of hype. You can drive by at 7 a.m. and there’s nothing, and then drive by at 8 a.m. and there’s the whole restaurant.”
The opening is expected about 45 days after the can is dropped.
What Now spoke to Cone about his plans for expansion, as well as history with the Smalls Sliders brand.
“It’s a fun story,” Cone said. “I was at Marriott corporate since I got of school, so I’ve always been in the hospitality industry. A good, good old family friend is friends with the founder, Brandon Landry, and one day, I got this call about this slider brand in Baton Rouge.”
Life being the busy thing it is, Cone put off the idea for awhile.
“But eventually I said, You know what? The idea does sound enticing. So I went out to Baton Rouge, And I worked in the original location, where I could get know the brand, what the food was about, the following, the hype. And after that, I was sold.”
The Smalls Sliders menu keeps things fairly simple. It’s sliders, seasoned waffle fries, soft drinks, and shakes. Upgrades include Biggie Smalls (Double meat, Double Cheese per slider), bacon, fries the Smalls Way—i.e. covered in “Smauce” and Queso.
Smalls Sliders’ second location in the area is expected to launch this summer, but Cone says there’s plenty more to come for the area.
“Oh, there’s more in store for Duval, for St. Augustine. This is just the tip of that iceberg,” Cone said.
You can keep up with Smalls Sliders news by following @smalls_sliders on Instagram.
