Bright Orange Burger Beacon Lands on Ashley Phosphate

If you’ve ever thought a burger joint could use a little more flair — maybe even a splash of highway-visible orange — North Charleston is about to make that dream very real.

A towering, bright-orange shipping container “can” from Smalls Sliders is scheduled to drop Nov. 5 at the former Denny’s site at 2280 Ashley Phosphate Road, which closed in 2022 (Post & Courier). The arrival was pushed back thanks to some weather hiccups, but all systems are go now.

Smalls Sliders isn’t your typical fast-casual setup. Each location is built from modular shipping containers stacked in a distinctive T-shape — bold orange on top, a second container turned perpendicular below, walk-up window out front, and a shaded AstroTurf patio outside (Post & Courier).

The vibe: compact, fast, and intentionally eye-catching. It looks less like a restaurant and more like a roadside landmark with waffle fries.

Franchise owner Elliott Strott of Sandlot Ventures LLC says he expects the new spot to open in mid-January (Post & Courier).

“We picked the place that was going to have the highest density and the most traffic and I can't think of any place as busy as Ashley Phosphate,” Strott told the Post & Courier. “We feel very blessed to be in that spot and hope to revitalize that corridor.”

Strott works in real estate, so scouting a high-visibility property is right in his wheelhouse. His introduction to Smalls Sliders came during visits to New Orleans, where his wife is from — one of the earliest markets for the brand.

“I’d never seen a facade or aesthetic like Smalls before — it’s not your typical brick-and-mortar operation,” he said. “It’s a very aerodynamic concept… Smalls has revitalized the White Castle or Krystal Burger vibe” (Post & Courier).

Smalls Sliders launched in 2019 under restaurateur Brandon Landry with a tight menu, a lightning-fast service model, and that hard-to-miss orange identity. The first can opened in Baton Rouge (Post & Courier).

Things have only accelerated since. The franchise began scaling in 2023 and is now backed by 10 Point Capital and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. More than 300 locations are sold or under development across the country (Post & Courier).

The Ashley Phosphate location is just the beginning. Strott has secured rights for up to five locations across Berkeley, Dorchester, and Charleston counties (Post & Courier). If all goes according to plan, the Lowcountry will eventually see a small fleet of bright orange burger modules popping up.

For now, North Charleston gets the inaugural can — a compact little slider shop wrapped in a very big statement.

This is a summary of an article published in the Post & Courier. Click here if you’d like to read that article.