Smalls Sliders has signed a development agreement to bring four of its signature Cans to North Austin, extending the cheeseburger slider brand's footprint across Texas. The agreement is led by Arun Rao, Ramesh Gudapuri, Vara Pacha and Ashok Reddy, four entrepreneurs with deep ties to the Austin community and backgrounds spanning engineering and restaurant operations, including experience with Crave Cookies and an Indian restaurant concept.
Rao said the group was drawn to the brand from the start by its efficient operations and product quality, adding that the team looks forward to bringing that same experience to North Austin residents as development gets underway. Under the agreement, the group will develop a minimum of four Cans across the area over the next few years, with the first location slated to open in 2027. The partners also plan to deepen their local involvement as the buildout progresses, including joining area chambers of commerce and building relationships throughout the communities they will serve.
Richard Leveille, Smalls Sliders' vice president of franchise development, said Austin represents a strong whitespace opportunity for the brand and called the agreement an example of scaling with the right operators in the right markets. Smalls Sliders serves fresh, cooked-to-order sliders, seasoned waffle fries and hand-spun milkshakes from its signature Smorange-colored shipping containers, a simple, speed-focused menu that has helped the brand grow from its first location in 2019 to more than 55 Cans open and hundreds more in development across 30 states.
Coordinating that kind of expansion, and the pipeline of prospective operators behind it, requires an organized way to track development conversations as they progress. Gorilla Dash offers a Recruitment feature designed to help growing franchise brands manage leads and move candidates through each stage of the process, keeping development on pace as new markets like Austin come online.
As part of its continued expansion in the region, Smalls Sliders is actively evaluating real estate opportunities throughout the North Austin market, with the brand inviting interested parties to connect with its development team as it continues building out the agreement.
