Whether it’s startups, established chains, or mom-and-pop restaurants, TFG is committed to providing a personalized and dedicated sales and service experience. Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Matt Reed, Director of Operations at Brechtel Hospitality. Matt oversees operations at a Smalls near us in Metairie, Louisiana. Smalls Sliders has partnered with TFG from the very beginning, and has seen significant growth and success in their operations. Curious to learn more from his perspective, we asked Matt to share his insight into Smalls Sliders and the role TFG has played in their daily operations and the overall journey.
Please introduce yourself and your role at Smalls!
Matt: Hi, my name is Matt Reed, and I’m the Director of Operations with Brechtel Hospitality. We operate several concepts in the Nola area, with Smalls Metairie being our first Smalls Sliders location which opened in February of 2024.
Smalls started back in 2019 by founder Brandon Landry. He had a dream to make the best made-to-order cheeseburger slider that you could grab on the go. He came up with the idea of using a sea can, or shipping container, as the building with a small patio and an amazing drive thru experience. Smalls recently opened their 14th “Can” and shows no sign of slowing down. Smalls is primarily in the Louisiana area, with one can in Flowood, MS. They plan to have 50 total locations across the Southeast US by the end of 2024 and 100 from Florida to Arizona by the end of 2025.
As a franchisee, what makes Smalls special from other stop-and-go burger joints?
Matt: Smalls brings simplicity and freshness to the burger game with exceptional hospitality and friendly service. Our locations are mostly known for our “Smorange™” color C cans and our 900 sq ft buildings. Being the newest brand to our portfolio, Smalls has quite a bit of hype behind it. Being a partner with Drew Brees is obviously a great selling point! But brand vision and core values align with who we are as business operators, and the culture of Smalls is second to none. We look forward to growing with this brand well into the future.
Smalls’ passion for the perfect, yet simple slider makes them truly unique. Their sliders are kept simple so that every bite has a warm, crisp bun, a perfectly smashed and seared patty, a cool, crisp pickle and some delicious Smauce® to make their slider one of a kind. Above all, Smalls thrives due to an excellent group of individuals. Smalls’ people and their passion for the brand, the sliders, and the guest experience are what make them so special.
Why has Smalls chosen to trust TFG with their equipment needs/maintenance for this long?
Matt: We are happily partnered with TFG to have their units in our buildings. The Metairie location specifically sells more milkshakes than any other location currently open. Being not only a franchisee with Smalls, we also operate Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux. We always have used TFG for our Ice Cream and Daiquiri machines. You can’t beat the quality of service and sense of urgency by their service team. In this game, if we have equipment down it costs us money and Taylor [partnered with TFG] has always gone above and beyond to make sure we are taken care of.
Just as Smalls wants to give guests great service, they are noted to have chosen TFG for their service, as well. Having been partners in the Smalls journey through support with any equipment needs, maintenance, and training, we share the value of satisfied customers and a job well done. This added bonus of “service” has helped the Smalls team keep up on preventative maintenance and proper cleaning/usage so that their fries are always amazing, and shake machines are never “down”.
Partnering with Smalls has been a journey of success and great results, and they show no sign of slowing down. Whether you’re there for the sliders, fries, or shakes, you can be sure that your experience will be second to none. At TFG, we look forward to seeing Smalls’ continued growth and have no doubt that they will be a s(m)uccess in the years to come.
