Here’s the rundown on Smalls Sliders: the Louisiana cheeseburger slider chain has made the decision to build all of its restaurants inside bright orange shipping containers, christen that color “Smorange™,” trademark the word “Smauce®” for its signature sauce, and then act completely normal about all of it. The chain was founded in Baton Rouge in 2019, and it’s been eating up the country ever since. The brand even drops its restaurants onto empty lots overnight in theatrical events called “Can Drops.” It’s a whole thing.
And Lutz is about to become part of this story. The chain, which is backed by former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, opens its newest location at 19081 Wingshooter Way on August 11. The menu centers on fresh, cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders, seasoned waffle fries, hand-spun shakes, and yes, “Smauce.” If you want to go big, you can order a “Biggie Smalls,” which doubles the meat and cheese. Everything’s served through a walk-up window or drive-thru, which makes sense because how much dining room does a shipping container realistically have?
ADVERTISEMENT
The August 11 debut will be followed up with a full grand opening celebration on Saturday, August 15, beginning at 9 am. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 9:30 am, after which the first 100 people in line win free sliders for an entire year. Yes, a full year of cheeseburger sliders. This is, objectively, a good prize.
The event also features free slider samples, a balloon artist, swag giveaways, family-friendly photo opportunities, and a coloring station. For the children, one assumes, though the coloring station is probably not enforcing any age minimums.
Photos via Small Sliders
Here’s the part that’s actually worth pausing on, though. As part of the opening, Smalls Sliders will name Joshua House as the location’s Smalls Town Hero. If you don’t know Joshua House, it’s been a Tampa Bay lifeline since 1992, providing safe, stable, and nurturing homes across five houses on 11 acres for abused, neglected, and abandoned children. Purple Buns, LLC will present a charitable donation to the organization during the event.
This marks the second Tampa Bay location for Purple Buns, LLC, following its Clearwater Can, with at least nine Florida locations planned.
Lutz, welcome to the Smorange™ revolution.
