Ohio State students can expect more “savvy” sliders on campus at the end of the month.
Expanding its franchise in Columbus, Savvy Sliders will open a new store at 2106 N. High St., between Frambes East Lane avenues, with the goal of providing short wait times and serving fresh meat, Ali Bazzi, the High Street location owner, said.
“We don’t freeze any of our meats,” Bazzi said. “Everything is made fresh. It’s something very different than what most people are used to when they think about burgers and fast food.”
The Michigan-based franchise will begin hiring students and offer a wide variety of food options for students — including sliders, custard milkshakes and a future breakfast menu, Bazzi said.
Asjath Jabeer, Bazzi’s business partner, said Savvy Sliders will be the fastest option on High Street.
“Not only is it fresh, you’re also going to get your food fast,” Jabeer said. “So if you’re a student coming or coming between classes, it’d be the quickest option on the whole street.”
Since Savvy Sliders is close to Ohio State’s campus, Bazzi said the store’s hours and prices will cater to the college lifestyle. The store will accept BuckID and operate from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
This will be the first Savvy Sliders location near any college campus, so Bazzi said the store hopes to hire students.
“We will have a team here from Michigan to assist in a soft opening, so we can get the employees accustomed to expectations and as well as training for the first 10-14 days,” Bazzi said. “Following that, several people will stay here from corporate for an additional couple of weeks until the store is running smoothly. It’s a pretty big operation. It’s not your typical fast food restaurant.”
Bazzi said Savvy Sliders has grown quickly throughout Michigan and is ready to continue its expansion in Ohio. The High Street location will be the second one in Columbus, he said.
“We’ve opened up 29 locations in about a year and a half in Michigan, and you know, our next step is to get to the Ohio market,” Bazzi said.
For those unfamiliar with Savvy Sliders, Jabeer said he suggests box number nine as customers’ first taste, which he said includes most of what the store provides.
“You get to choose between any slider you like and it comes with two tenders and a side of fries,” Jabeer said.