Wichita’s latest ‘can drop’ lands on the west side. Burgers will follow.
Dropping a can is usually a bad thing, especially if it results in spilled beer or unintentional littering.
But these days, “can drop” has a much different meaning: It’s one of the terms that franchisees of restaurants that operate out of pre-fab metal buildings — a growing trend in the industry — use to describe the dropping of said can on the site where it will operate.
Wichita’s latest can drop was expected to wrap up Thursday at 3500 N. Maize Road, where Wichita’s second Smalls Sliders drive-through burger restaurant is projected to open in late October. Local franchisee Colton Sorlie and his family opened the first Smalls Sliders at 1370 N. Greenwich in April.
The latest can drop was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but that day’s rain forced a delay. The first part of the can was put in place on Wednesday evening, and the rest was scheduled to be in place by early Thurday morning, Sorlie said.
The Smalls Sliders chain is not the first to drop a can in Wichita in recent years. Passersby have probably also noticed cranes dropping metal structures in place ahead of the openings of each of Wichita’s 7 Brew Coffee drive throughs. And back in 2023, before the since-closed Sticky Bird chicken tender restaurant opened at 616 S. Tyler, its can also was dropped.
Restaurant chains that use such buildings usually like to publicize their can drops in advance and invite media to cover the events.
Corlie said he’ll likely drop another can on Wichita: His family agreed to open five in the Wichita area.
But he doesn’t know exactly when the next can will drop.
“It’s too early to say at the moment,” he said. “We just want to make sure that we don’t cannibalize sales from either can. We believe there will be demand for additional cans in the Wichita area.”
Smalls Sliders is an Atlanta-based chain that specializes in slider-sized cheeseburgers that can be topped with bacon, queso and a special mayo/mustard/ketchup concoction that the restaurant calls “Smauce.” The menu also features double sliders, grilled cheese sandwiches, waffle fries and milkshakes in three flavors. Customers also can get a 25-slider “party pack.”
The bright-orange restaurants don’t have indoor seating, but they do have seats on an outdoor patio plus walk-up and drive-through windows.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 5:02 AM.
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