Smalls Sliders® Names Industry Veteran Clint Penfield as Chief Operating Officer
June 16, 2025 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA – Smalls Sliders has appointed veteran restaurant operations leader Clint Penfield as its new Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Penfield will oversee systemwide operations and focus on building scalable infrastructure to support franchisee growth, while preserving the brand’s bold identity and relentless focus on guest experience.
Penfield brings over two decades of leadership from Raising Cane’s, one of the most admired growth stories in the restaurant industry. During his tenure, he held multiple senior roles – including Chief of Restaurant Services, Senior Vice President of Restaurant Services, and Regional Vice President of Operations – guiding operations across hundreds of locations as the brand evolved from regional favorite to national phenomenon.
"Smalls Sliders is built on a foundation of operational simplicity and bold hospitality,” said Penfield. “What drew me to this brand is how clearly it knows who it is and how deeply it’s committed to the success of its franchisees and team members. My goal is to scale what makes Smalls special, while ensuring every Can delivers a standout guest experience, every time.”
As COO of Smalls Sliders, Penfield will lead all aspects of restaurant operations, systems, and field support. His focus will be building fast, consistent, and guest-forward experiences inside every Can, while enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening support for franchisees. Penfield’s proven ability to scale high-performance teams and deliver simple, repeatable excellence makes him an ideal fit for Smalls as it accelerates nationwide expansion.
“Clint is a culture-first leader who knows how to build operations that move fast, stay consistent, and deliver on our franchise promise and guest experience,” said Charles Watson, CEO of Smalls Sliders. “His people-first mindset and leadership will help us grow without ever losing what makes Smalls special.”
Smalls Sliders serves fresh, cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders, seasoned waffle fries, and hand-spun milkshakes from its signature Smorange™-colored shipping containers, called "Cans." This deliberately simple menu, focused on quality and speed, has propelled the brand from its first location in 2019 to more than 375 Cans open or under development across 22 states, attracting premier multi-brand franchisees nationwide.
For more information on Smalls Sliders, slide thru to www.smallssliders.com or visit https://smallsslidersfranchising.com to learn more about franchising opportunities.
About Smalls Sliders
Smalls Sliders is one of the fastest-growing brands in the restaurant industry, specializing exclusively in fresh, cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders that are small in size but big in taste. Smalls Sliders is the brainchild of restaurateur visionary Brandon Landry, led by CEO Charles Watson, and is backed by 10 Point Capital and former NFL star Drew Brees, as investors. For more information on how Smalls Sliders is the biggest thing to happen to burgers since buns, visit www.smallssliders.com.
SOURCE Smalls Sliders
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