Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees is passing his burger chain all the way to Kansas City.
Smalls Sliders — backed by Brees — signed a deal to open nine Kansas City area restaurants.
The Atlanta-based company announced Wednesday that it hopes to open its first restaurant in the area late this year.
After inking an agreement with Kansas City businessman Mark Parretta, Smalls is looking at spots in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Overland Park, Olathe, Liberty and Independence, though it did not announce addresses.
Smalls serves slider meal combos consisting of one to four burgers, waffle fries and a drink. It offers chocolate, vanilla, and cookies and cream shakes.
“When I began learning about the concept … I was blown away,” Parretta said in a statement. “The intentionally limited yet delicious menu, alongside the brand’s unique appeal to a variety of guests, were huge factors in our draw to the brand.”
Constructed from bright orange (or “smorange,” as the Smalls Sliders team calls it) shipping containers, the restaurants offer walk-up and drive-thru service.
The original Smalls container opened in 2019 in Louisiana by Brandon Landry, founder of Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, which has locations in Wichita and Columbia. Smalls now has 180 locations open or in development across the country, according to Conor Mills, a spokesman for Smalls.
Brees was an early investor in the brand, and the former Saints player just opened his own location in Metairie, Louisiana.
“It’s great to be part of such a great team, and create one of the hottest and most popular franchise concepts in the country,” Brees told New Orleans station WDSU last week. “Very quickly we’re going to make our way to the Midwest and out west.”
With Brees stepping onto the field, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is gaining yardage locally with his own burger venture, also with an orange color scheme, Whataburger.
Mahomes is a partner in KMO Burger, which recently opened Parkville and Olathe Whataburger locations. KMO has 10 locations across the metro. More are opening this spring at 4200 Sterling Ave. and 12424 S. U.S. Highway 71 in Grandview. Whataburger has several other corporate-owned locations in the area.
Source: The Kansas City Star
