US fast-food chain Smalls Sliders is using a customer data platform from New York-based Bikky to provide clear customer profiles.

Bikky’s platform was built exclusively for multi-unit restaurants.

Smalls Sliders specialises in cheeseburger sliders, seasoned waffle fries, queso and milkshakes, served from compact shipping containers, which the brand calls cans.

Founded in 2019, the first Smalls location opened in Baton Rouge with a mission to serve cheeseburger sliders better than anyone else. Smalls Sliders has a deliberately simple menu, focusing on connecting with diners and an intentional, data-driven approach. At the end of 2024, Smalls Sliders reached more than 300 locations sold or under development.

Seeking to elevate its data strategy with clear customer profiles and robust segmentation capabilities, the brand reached out to Bikky.

“As an emerging concept, it’s important for us to understand if what we’re doing is actually resonating with our guests,” said Charnell Landry, director of digital enablement for Smalls Sliders. “With Bikky, we can clearly see what’s working and what’s not. We’re never just throwing things against a wall to see if they stick.”

With detailed insights into diner behaviour, Smalls Sliders is eliminating guesswork and speeding up critical operational decisions such as the placement and pricing of menu items. By analysing purchasing trends in Bikky, Smalls Sliders quickly verified its most popular items and created a menu board that directed eyes accordingly.

“As we work to always keep our brand simple to execute, it is important that we have an unbiased, uncomplicated way to see what our consumers are responding to,” said Michael Alberici, head of marketing for Smalls Sliders. “We’re building a brand that can stand the test of time, and we need to make impactful, data-driven decisions at lightning speed as we grow.”

Bikky’s analysis also confirmed that most first-time diners order the largest four-slider combo, but transition to a smaller combo after becoming more familiar with the brand and portion sizes. With these data, Smalls can prepare new franchisees operationally to handle a higher volume of large orders when opening a new location.

“Having data to anticipate speed of service and give our franchisees confidence way before their opening day has been very helpful for us,” said Landry.

The data didn’t just support existing hypotheses. Smalls Sliders was surprised to learn they have daily visitors, a cohort they wouldn’t have known existed without Bikky. With a clearer view of diner frequency, the brand wants to re-imagine loyalty in a way that rewards true brand loyalists, and work with their guests’ unique lifecycles.

“It’s refreshing to have a simple tool that instantly shows us our unique guest frequency metrics, that way we’re not defining ourselves solely by QSR benchmarks,” said Alberici. “We can stay completely focused on our own vision of excellence.” 

Smalls Sliders anticipates opening 40 to 45 cans in 2025, ending the year with locations throughout 15 states. It plans to dive even deeper into data, uncovering opportunities to improve the diner experience and validate its approach to operations and hospitality.

“Bikky gives us the deep insights we need to consistently offer a fantastic guest experience,” said Landry. “Understanding the patterns of our guests, what they order and how, allows us to evolve alongside them and continue to meet them where they are.” 

Abhinav Kapur, CEO of Bikky, added: “Smalls Sliders is a perfect example of the modern, data-driven approach that’s needed for rapid growth in today’s restaurant industry. Their ability to use guest insights to inform everything from menu board design to franchise operations showcases what’s possible when brands truly understand their guests. We’re excited to partner with Smalls as they continue to expand and redefine the guest experience in the QSR space.”

Smalls Sliders joins a growing roster of brands, including Robeks, WaBa Grill and Dave’s Hot Chicken, which rely on the guest data and analytics platform.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Smalls Sliders (smallssliders.com) is a fast-growing fast-food brand.

Bikky (www.bikky.com) is a customer data platform for multi-unit restaurants. By connecting with the entire tech stack from PoS to loyalty, Bikky delivers insight on up to 90% of guest base, empowering users to make informed, fast decisions that drive incremental sales. Bikky is based in New York and has raised nearly $15m in funding.