Smalls Sliders, the fast-growing cheeseburger slider restaurant concept, has signed a multi-unit development agreement to open four new locations across Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri in the coming years.
The agreement is led by brothers Joe and Tim Rheem and their business partner Johnny Hughes, who will develop the new restaurants under the brand’s franchise model.
The new units, known as “Cans” in Smalls Sliders’ branding, are planned for rapidly growing communities including Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale, Fayetteville, Fort Smith in Arkansas, and Joplin and Branson in Missouri.
Joe Rheem, a seasoned franchise operator, said the group is “excited to bring Smalls Sliders to our community with a concept that’s both fun for guests and smart for operators.” He added that the brand’s simplified menu and efficient operations model make it well suited to the region’s busy retail corridors.
Johnny Hughes, who spent more than three decades in foodservice leadership at Tyson Foods, brings deep industry experience to the partnership. His expertise in sales, marketing and operations is expected to support the team as it builds out the new Cans across the two states.
“Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri represent compelling whitespace for Smalls Sliders, with strong population growth, high traffic corridors and limited presence of our concept to date,” said Ryan Crumley, Chief Development Officer for Smalls Sliders. He highlighted the Rheem team’s disciplined development approach as a key reason they were tapped for the markets.
Smalls Sliders began in 2019 with a focus on fresh, cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders, seasoned waffle fries and hand-spun milkshakes served from compact, modular “Can” locations. The streamlined concept has helped the brand grow quickly nationwide, with more than four dozen Cans open and hundreds in development across more than 30 states.
