National burger slider chain plans new locations in Eastern Iowa

A growing restaurant known for its small burgers is making a big splash next year in Eastern Iowa.

Smalls Sliders, an Atlanta-based brand with locations predominantly in the Southeast, has announced its first development deal for Iowa. The agreement’s six contracted locations will start with spots in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, followed by Davenport, Dubuque, Waterloo and Burlington.

The deal is part of rapid planned growth for the chain entering its 19th state since it started in 2019.

The new Iowa locations will be spearheaded by franchisees Jeremy Music and Chris Wilson. Music, an Iowa native and Mediapolis resident, brings extensive experience as a managing partner of franchises across Iowa and Illinois like Scooter’s Coffee, Wingstop, Jersey Mike’s and Billy Sims BBQ.

  Buy Photo

Wilson, a Chicago resident, brings to the table a business background from ownership in a restoration business and medical waste company. He said he has wanted to get into franchising for years.

“I never felt like I found a concept that would thrive in our community or something that wasn’t already available to local residents,” Wilson said. “That’s what is so amazing about Smalls Sliders — it’s new, unique and has a laser-focus on providing guests with the perfect cheeseburger sliders, not the million-and-one menu items some restaurant have nowadays.”

Each location serves up a simple menu of small cheeseburger sliders, waffle fries and milkshakes out of their orange “cans” — the term they use for the prefabricated shipping containers dropped onto each location and converted into a restaurant. With their cans, each empty lot becomes a ready-to-go restaurant location in about 30 minutes.

Burgers are served on toasted, buttered buns. Burgers and fries can be enjoyed with Smalls’ signature “Smauce” dipping sauce, as well as queso.

Laying claim to the fastest-growing cheeseburger slider brand, Smalls Sliders’ trajectory includes more than 250 locations under development or currently open. Many are across Southeastern states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas.

Its entry to Iowa comes only a year after the brand reopened its doors to franchising. The new franchise deal for Iowa appears to be the brand’s most northward expansion to date.

“Each time we enter a new state, we feel the insatiable buzz continue building around the Smalls Sliders name,” said Don Crocker, chief data officer of Smalls Sliders. “Operators like Jeremy and Chris are exactly the type of people we want to make this kind of growth with — they are hungry for opportunity and are committed to our goal of breaking through the noise of a crowded QSR (quick service restaurant) space.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.