Smalls SlidersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Smalls Sliders franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.4M – $2.1M, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.4M – $2.1M
- 98th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 44th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 45
- 61st pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
The system grew 126% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $1.4M – $2.1M including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Item 19 discloses "Actual Sales" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 57/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Smalls Sliders Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- Smalls Holding, LLC
- Predecessor
- We do not have any predecessors
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- GA
- HQ
- 115 Perimeter Center Place, Suite 1045, Atlanta, Georgia 30346
- Auditor
- Bennett Thrasher LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.2M
- vs $8.0M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2026
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- Smalls Sliders IP
- Smalls Sliders Gift Cards
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate fast-casual slider restaurants featuring small-format gourmet hamburgers and related quick-service items. Daily operations include food prep, inventory management, staff scheduling, customer service, and POS management in a limited-service restaurant model. Franchisees typically manage 10–20 employees across morning prep, lunch, and dinner service.
- CEO
- Charles Watson
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 11
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Initial Training Feenot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Restaurant Building & Site Worknot refundable | $979K | $1.5M | |
| FF&E & Technologynot refundable | $257K | $339K | |
| Signage & Menu Boardsnot refundable | $50K | $112K | |
| Lease, Utility and Security Depositsnot refundable | $500 | $4K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $9K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $26K | $33K | |
| Minimum Grand Opening Advertising Campaign Feenot refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Hiring, Uniform and Training Expensesnot refundable | $15K | $31K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Miscellaneousnot refundable | $1K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $25K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $1.4M | $2.1M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $1.4M – $2.1M
- Below avg, review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $30K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $20 |
| Renewal fee | $20 |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "Actual Sales" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Smalls Sliders Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 45
- Opened
- 24
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +126.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 24
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $7.5M
- Median loan
- $1.4M
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Smalls Sliders's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 5 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 4 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Smalls Sliders is a high-investment, early-stage franchise with explosive unit growth but zero disclosed financial performance metrics, making ROI validation impossible and sustainability questionable.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $35,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Bennett Thrasher LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 57 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD (Item 19) — impossible to validate ROI claims
- 02MINORHigh unit growth rate (126.3% YoY) is atypical and raises sustainability questions; may indicate aggressive recruitment over organic growth
- 03MINORInvestment range of $1.4M–$2.1M is substantial with no financial performance benchmarks to justify it
- 04MINOR6% royalty on gross sales (not net) is aggressive and lacks transparency on what franchisees typically net
- 05MEDOnly 45 total units suggests early-stage franchise with limited historical data and unproven scalability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 4 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Georgia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 17 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 147 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant and franchisor's facility
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
74 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Smalls Sliders · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Smalls Sliders franchise?
The total investment to open a Smalls Sliders franchise ranges from $1.4M – $2.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Smalls Sliders franchise owners earn?
Smalls Sliders does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Smalls Sliders's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Smalls Sliders (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Smalls Sliders franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Smalls Sliders has 45 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 24 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Smalls Sliders a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Smalls Sliders as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 57 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.