It’s a fast follow-up to the brand’s first McKinney “Can,” which opened in April 2025 at 1681 N. Hardin Blvd. and quickly built a following on the strength of pressed-to-order sliders, waffle fries, and milkshakes. Both locations are run by the same local operator, Serendipity Provisions LLC, whose representative Chris Raleigh said of the brand’s original McKinney debut: “We were drawn to McKinney because it’s a historic town with a loyal population, which makes bringing Smalls Sliders here significant.” A second location in the same city, just over a year later, is the clearest sign yet that the bet paid off.

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Like every Smalls Sliders location, the new Custer Rd spot is built inside a “Can” — the brand’s signature 750-square-foot, Smorange™-colored shipping container, outfitted with a walk-up window and a drive-thru. The city approved the drive-thru for this location, with the speaker box positioned roughly 260 feet from the nearest single-family home to manage noise for neighbors.

The menu keeps things narrow on purpose: fresh, never-frozen, all-beef patties grilled to order, served single- or double-stacked with American cheese, pickle, and the brand’s proprietary “Smauce” on a toasted bun. Sides are limited to seasoned waffle fries — plain or smothered in queso — plus a short milkshake lineup (chocolate, vanilla, cookies & cream) and a grilled cheese for the burger-averse. At the first McKinney Can, a single slider ran about $2.79, though guests should confirm current pricing at the new location.

McKinney’s second Can is part of a broader growth run for the brand. As of March 2026, Smalls Sliders had more than 300 Cans sold or in development across six sold-out states, with over 50 locations already open. The company’s stated mission — to “serve cheeseburger sliders better than anyone else” — has translated into a simple, repeatable format: small footprint, small menu, big drive-thru throughput.

For McKinney residents, the practical upshot is a second, more convenient option on the north side of town along N. Custer Road, joining the original Hardin Blvd. location. Whether Smalls Sliders repeats the “Can Drop” energy of its first McKinney opening for this one remains to be confirmed — but the pattern from the brand’s other markets suggests an opening-day line, a festive first-guest moment, and a drive-thru that will be busy from hour one

Bottom line: Smalls Sliders opens its second McKinney “Can” on August 18, 2026, at 1700 N. Custer Rd. — a shipping-container drive-thru serving cooked-to-order cheeseburger sliders, waffle fries, and shakes from the same local team behind the brand’s first McKinney location.

The vote is a committee-level recommendation, not a final law. Like most land-use changes in Beaufort County, it still needs two more votes before it officially takes effect.

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Why Farmers Pushed for This

Traditional agricultural buildings — pole barns, metal storage structures, cold-storage units — can cost tens of thousands of dollars once site work, permitting, and construction are factored in. Repurposed shipping containers, by contrast, are already weatherproof, secure, and comparatively inexpensive to acquire and place, which is why they’ve become an increasingly common option for farmers nationwide looking to add storage, equipment shelter, or workspace without a major capital outlay.

What the Amendment Does — and Doesn’t — Settle Yet

The catch, in Beaufort County and many other jurisdictions, is that community development and zoning codes were largely written before shipping containers became a mainstream building option. Without a specific provision addressing them, containers on agricultural land can fall into a legal gray area — technically a structure, but not one the code clearly permits, sizes, or regulates. That ambiguity can leave farmers exposed to code enforcement action even when the container itself isn’t causing any real problem. Amending the code to explicitly allow — and define rules for — agricultural shipping containers closes that gap.

What’s confirmed is the core direction: the county is moving to formally recognize shipping containers as a legitimate structure type for agricultural use. For comparison, other counties nationally have taken a range of approaches, from permitting containers outright with design standards to requiring a special-use permit — where Beaufort County’s final language lands in that range will determine how much practical flexibility farmers actually gain.

What’s Next

The amendment now heads toward further consideration by Beaufort County Council. Until the full Council acts, farmers should treat the current code as still in effect and consult the Beaufort County Planning Department before placing a shipping container on agricultural land.

Why This Matters Beyond the Farm

Land-use policy might not sound like exciting local news, but changes like this one shape what’s actually financially possible for the working farms that supply Beaufort County’s food system and help preserve its rural character amid rapid coastal development. Lowering the cost barrier to basic infrastructure — storage, equipment shelter, cold storage — can be the difference between a small farm staying viable and a farmer deciding it’s not worth the overhead. It also reflects a broader pattern playing out in county governments nationwide: land-use codes slowly catching up to lower-cost building methods that didn’t exist, or weren’t common, when those codes were first written.

The Bottom Line

Beaufort County’s Natural Resources Committee has signaled clear support for letting farmers use shipping containers for agricultural purposes — a change that could meaningfully cut the cost of on-farm storage. The measure isn’t law yet; it still needs to clear full County Council. But the committee’s August 3, 2026 vote marks a real step toward giving Lowcountry farmers a faster, cheaper building option. For updates on the ordinance’s progress, follow Beaufort County Council’s public meeting agendas and continuing coverage from The Island Packet.