Brand Shoutouts
How a Baton Rouge slider concept backed by Drew Brees did $2.4 million from its first Can — then brought in the executive who grew Tropical Smoothie from under 900 to 1,500+ locations.
By Justin K. Sellers · 10 min read · March 11, 2026
The first Smalls Sliders Can opened in September 2019 on Nicholson Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
It did $2.4 million in its first year out of 800 square feet.
When founder Brandon Landry saw those numbers, the brand’s trajectory was set. “When we started, we were thinking that if we could just do around $1.3 million in sales, we’d have a really good business,” said Drew Brees, early investor and co-owner. The system average is now tracking above $2 million.
Today, Smalls Sliders says it has 375 Cans open or in development across 30 states, while Franchise Times data indicates roughly 20 units were actually open. In April 2025, the brand named Charles Watson — 15-year Tropical Smoothie Café veteran who grew that system to 1,500+ units and tripled revenue to $1.42 billion — as CEO.
The question operators should ask: what makes a nine-SKU slider concept out of a 750-square-foot modular Can worth watching in a QSR category that already has Five Guys, Shake Shack, and White Castle?
Brandon Landry didn’t come to Smalls Sliders as an outsider to the restaurant industry.
Landry is the founder and CEO of Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, the Louisiana-born sports bar concept. He founded Smalls in 2019 alongside Jacob Dugas, his nephew and co-founder. His co-investor from day one: Drew Brees, then-active NFL quarterback and future Hall of Famer.
The concept was simple: sliders had been confined to sports bars and fast-food relics (White Castle, Krystal) for decades. Landry believed a brand dedicated entirely to a premium, fresh, cooked-to-order slider — out of a compact, purpose-built space — could own that format.
10 Point Capital, the QSR-focused private equity firm, had already invested in Walk-On’s in 2020 and watched it grow from 42 to nearly 70 locations. When they saw the Smalls model — unit economics, brand energy, founding team — they invested in mid-2022 when there were only four Cans open.
Morven Groves, managing partner of 10 Point Capital, put it plainly: “We’ve made a conscious decision to invest in best-in-class talent to be able to scale.”
Core menu: Original Slider (fresh, never-frozen beef patty, toasted buttered bun, pickles, Smauce®), Biggie Smalls (double patty; bacon version available), seasoned waffle fries, queso dipping sauce, milkshakes (vanilla, chocolate, cookies & cream), and fountain drinks.
Nine SKUs total. That’s not a limited menu — that’s a deliberately singular product identity. Everything in the Can exists to support the slider.
The beef is fresh, never frozen, hand-pattied daily, cooked to order every time. The face-to-face ordering model at the walk-up window — workers take orders directly with guests rather than through a speaker — is built around the quality narrative.
A two-slider combo with fries and a fountain drink: $8.99. A four-slider meal: $13.99. In a QSR category where combo meal prices have exceeded $10–12 at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King, those price points are a value positioning statement.
Every Smalls Sliders location is a prefabricated modular building — 750 to 800 square feet — constructed at a climate-controlled factory, then dropped on-site.
The build is designed around two primary customer touchpoints: a double-lane drive-thru and a walk-up window. No dining room. No indoor seating.
What this means for operators: faster openings (no traditional construction timeline), smaller site requirements (0.5 to 1 acre with 100–120 feet of frontage), lower build cost ($814,913–$1,212,396 per FDD for restaurant building and site work), and operational simplicity (under 12 SKUs means tighter labor, consistent training, faster throughput).
In April 2025, Charles Watson was named CEO. Watson spent 15 years at Tropical Smoothie Café, the last six as CEO — during which time he grew the brand to 1,500+ locations and tripled systemwide revenue to $1.42 billion. He was specifically recruited by 10 Point Capital’s Scott Pressly, who had backed him at Tropical Smoothie before.
In November 2025, Watson’s executive team was completed: Ryan Crumley as Chief Development Officer (20+ years QSR experience; previously at Dave’s Hot Chicken, Driven Brands, Dunkin’ — where he oversaw 500+ restaurant openings) and Michael Alberici promoted to Chief Marketing Officer (background: Cinnabon, Olive Garden, Universal Destinations).
Drew Brees is a co-owner, franchisee, and investor simultaneously. He’s building his own Can portfolio. That skin-in-the-game positioning differentiates him from celebrity endorsers.
- September 2019: First Can, Nicholson Drive, Baton Rouge - December 2021: Second Can opens; franchising officially launches - May 2022: First franchise Can opens, Thibodaux, LA - July 2022: 10 Point Capital equity investment - End 2023: 11 Cans open, 155 sold - August 2024: 300 Cans open or in development; 6 states sold out - April 2025: Charles Watson named CEO; 375 Cans open or in development - November 2025: Watson continued building out the executive team; 22 states under development
That Thibodaux franchise opening? It immediately had a 60–75 car stack for almost two weeks. That demand signal was extraordinary.
On the Product:
I found the sliders to have a much better flavor than White Castle, and at times, they even make you question if you’re still eating fast food. — GuiltyEats.com review, 2025
Someone mentioned Smalls Sliders and I immediately thought of Krystal or White Castle but then I tried them for myself. — Yelp, Baton Rouge flagship
On Demand Signal:
We can’t field the calls and the level of interest fast enough. — Drew Brees, QSR Magazine, 2023
On Opening Experience:
That unit just completely blew us away with the sales that it did, to the point where we said, ‘Whoa, this is even bigger than we ever thought it could be.’ — Richard Leveille, VP Franchise Development, on Thibodaux opening, QSR Magazine
On Employee Experience:
Management is great, it’s family oriented. Nothing is stressful, very beginner friendly. — Indeed review, Flowood MS, October 2024
1. The Unit Economics at Top Performers Are Genuinely Strong. $2.4 million in Year 1 from 800 square feet is exceptional. A unit opened December 2022 generated $2,641,000 in its first full year — approximately $50,000 per week. Watson’s stated focus on “disciplined growth” and “profitability for franchise partners” is the right framing.
2. Charles Watson’s Tropical Smoothie Track Record Is Credible. Tropical Smoothie Café is a 1,500-unit system that grew under Watson from under 900 locations, tripled revenue to $1.42 billion, and was acquired by Blackstone. In our view, that’s the highest-credibility CEO hire Smalls Sliders could have made at this stage. Watson has done exactly what Smalls needs done — at scale, under PE ownership, with a franchise community that measured his performance quarterly. The later Blackstone acquisition added another layer of credibility to that track record.
3. The Can Model Is a Real Operational Differentiator. Prefabricated modular construction, dropped on site, compresses the timeline between franchise agreement and revenue-generating Can. Ryan Crumley (new CDO) has direct experience opening 300+ locations at Tidal Wave Auto Spa using a similar footprint-first model.
4. Drew Brees Is More Than a Celebrity Investor. Brees is a co-owner, franchisee, and investor simultaneously. He’s building his own Can portfolio in Louisiana. That alignment creates a credibility signal that pure celebrity investors don’t provide.
5. The Founding Operator Quality Bar Is High. The brand requires prior franchising, restaurant operations, or business leadership experience. Net worth requirement of $4M and $1.5M liquid screens for operators with the resources to weather a ramp period.
- A modular build model that compresses time to opening - Top-performer unit economics of $2.4M–$2.6M from 800 square feet - A CEO (Watson) with a documented 1,500-unit scale-up track record - A CDO (Crumley) who has opened 500+ restaurants across multiple systems - 9 SKUs and under 12 ingredients — a notably simple operating model in the burger segment - 10 Point Capital backing with Walk-On’s and Slim Chickens in the same portfolio - Value pricing ($8.99 two-slider combo) in a QSR category experiencing consumer price fatigue
[DEEP_DIVE_CTA url="/article/smalls-sliders-deep-dive/"] Want the full story? - Unit economics reality: $1.7M system average vs. $2.4M–$2.6M top performers - The pipeline-to-open gap: 375 in development vs. 21 confirmed open - Leadership transition analysis: CEO departure and significant executive reshaping in 2025 - Customer sentiment deep dive: The good, the challenging, and what it means for operators - Who this concept is actually built for (and who should wait) [/DEEP_DIVE_CTA]
Interested in bringing Smalls Sliders to your market?
Visit their franchise page for territory availability and FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document). Specifically request Item 19 (Financial Performance Representations) to verify AUV distribution across the system — top performers vs. system average.
Note: Smalls Sliders requires prior franchise or QSR experience, $4M net worth, $1.5M liquid capital, and a typical 5-Can development commitment.
Visit Franchise PageWe never ask brands for permission before publishing. Our job is independent analysis, not marketing material. If something in this piece doesn’t match your experience — good or bad — that’s valuable information for the operator community.
Sponsors get placement, not editorial control. We write what the research shows.
This article draws on 24 public sources including FDD analyses, customer reviews, industry press, and employee reviews.
We don’t know the current open Can count with precision.Franchise Times Top 400 (2025) lists 21 units. Brand communications reference 375 open or in development. Operators should request the current open unit roster directly from the brand during due diligence.
We don’t know the AUV distribution by market or vintage.The $1,697,000 FDD average and the $2M+ system tracking figure likely reflect different measurement periods and unit sets. Location-level revenue data broken down by market and opening year is not publicly available.
We don’t know franchisee satisfaction or renewal rate.The franchise program re-opened in May 2023. Most franchisees are in their first term. No multi-term renewal data exists yet. Item 20 of the FDD (current and former franchisee contacts) is the most important document to review.
This Brand Shoutout was produced independently. The brand profiled did not participate in, review, or approve this research prior to publication. All financial claims, unit economics, and operational assessments are sourced from publicly available materials and cited accordingly.
QSR Research Hub is an independent publication. We receive no compensation from any brand featured in our Brand Shoutouts.
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1. Smalls Sliders brand history timeline. smallsslidersfranchising.com/about (2025). https://smallsslidersfranchising.com/about
2. First Can Year 1 revenue $2.4M. QSR Magazine. "Drew Brees and Smalls Sliders Game Plan for National Stardom" (2023). https://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/fast-casual/drew-brees-and-smalls-sliders-game-plan-for-national-stardom/
3. Drew Brees on AUV tracking $2M+. QSR Magazine. "Drew Brees and Smalls Sliders Game Plan for National Stardom" (2023). https://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/fast-casual/drew-brees-and-smalls-sliders-game-plan-for-national-stardom/
4. 375 Cans open or under development, 30 states. IFA press release, February 2026; smallssliders.com CEO announcement. https://smallssliders.com
5. Franchise Times Top 400 #472, 21 units. Franchise Times (2025). https://www.franchisetimes.com/top-400-2025/472-smalls-sliders/article_05570542-6751-497f-a477-ec997616a8f4.html
6. Charles Watson named CEO, Maria Rivera departure. QSR Magazine. "Smalls Sliders Names Charles Watson CEO" (April 2025). https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/smalls-sliders-names-charles-watson-ceo/
7. Ryan Crumley CDO, Michael Alberici CMO promotions; Clint Penfield COO. QSR Magazine. "Smalls Sliders Names Ryan Crumley CDO and Promotes Michael Alberici to CMO" (November 2025). https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/smalls-sliders-names-ryan-crumley-cdo-and-promotes-michael-alberici-to-cmo/
8. 22 states under development; real estate guidelines. smallsslidersfranchising.com (2025). https://smallsslidersfranchising.com
9. Brandon Landry founder background; Walk-On’s origin. smallssliders.com/about; QSRweb.com (2023). https://smallssliders.com
10. Jacob Dugas co-founder; 10 Point Capital investment timeline. QSR Magazine. "Smalls Sliders Secures Equity Investment from 10 Point Capital" (2022). https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/smalls-sliders-secures-equity-investment-10-point-capital/
11. 10 Point Capital investment rationale; Thibodaux opening; supply chain/operations building. QSR Magazine. "Small Sliders' Growth Story Enters Major Chapter." https://www.qsrmagazine.com/exclusives/small-sliders-growth-story-enters-major-chapter/
12. Don Crocker hired as CDO. NRN. "Inspire Brands' Don Crocker Named CDO of Smalls Sliders" (April 2024). https://www.nrn.com/people/inspire-brands-don-crocker-joins-smalls-sliders-lead-development
13. Nine SKUs, under 12 ingredients. Franchise Times. "Smalls Sliders Names Tropical Smoothie Vet Charles Watson as CEO" (2025). https://www.franchisetimes.com/franchise_news/smalls-sliders-names-tropical-smoothie-vet-charles-watson-as-ceo/article_dad22b3f-cb4b-4e2f-bd35-5399e0655bcb.html
14. Pricing: $8.99 two-slider combo, $13.99 four-slider. CultureMap San Antonio (2025). https://sanantonio.culturemap.com
15. Modular Can specs, site requirements, 5-Can development minimum. smallsslidersfranchising.com (2025). https://smallsslidersfranchising.com
16. FDD investment range; unit opening December 2022 at $2.641M; restaurant building $814K–$1.21M. QSR Magazine. "Smalls Sliders Slays Another Milestone with 300 Cans in Development" (2024). https://www.qsrmagazine.com/food/burgers/smalls-sliders-slays-another-milestone-with-300-cans-in-development/
17. 300 Cans milestone, doubling from 200 since start of 2024; 6 states sold out. VerdictFoodservice / PRNewswire (August 2024). https://www.prnewswire.com
18. FDD average AUV $1,697,000; 21 franchise units. Smalls Sliders Franchising. FDD Item 19 financial performance representation (2024 FDD). Note: FDD vintage reflects prior operating year data; prospective franchisees should obtain the current FDD directly from Smalls Sliders Franchising LLC. https://smallsslidersfranchising.com
19. QSR 40/40 List 2022; QSR 50 Contenders 2023; NRN Breakout Brands 2023; Entrepreneur Top New & Emerging 2023. Brand press releases and awards program pages. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/the-list/qsr-4040/
20. Customer reviews, GuiltyEats.com (2025). https://guiltyeats.com
21. Customer reviews, Yelp (2024–2025). https://www.yelp.com
22. Employee reviews, Indeed (2024–2025). https://www.indeed.com
23. Casey Halbach, Chief People Officer. Company announcement (2025). https://smallssliders.com
24. Consumer comparisons to White Castle/Krystal. GuiltyEats.com; Yelp reviews (2024–2025). https://guiltyeats.com