Alabama
Fast-expanding cheeseburger slider franchise to open 4 locations in coastal Alabama
Hunter Beaugez has been a physical therapist specialist for the past eight years.
His partners, including brother Taylor Rosson, own and operate ServePro restoration services from the Greater New Orleans region and into Texas and Tennessee.
On paper, they might seem to be the unlikeliest pairing to open a new hamburger concept in Mobile. But Beaugez said he’s excited about the opportunity after Smalls Sliders signed its latest multi-unit deal – what the Atlanta-based company calls a “four-Can agreement” – with the entrepreneurial team.
“Smalls Sliders is trying to enhance an old concept by making sliders bigger and more creative,” said Beaugez of New Orleans. “It’s a very innovative way of what they are trying to accomplish and plan to implement over the next year or so.”
The first Smalls Sliders will open sometime next year likely in Mobile. From there, Beaugez said there will be a new Smalls Sliders eatery opening up per year. The exact locations, he said, have not been determined.
Similar announcements have been ongoing all year in Alabama. The chain announced earlier this year that as many as five locations will open in and around Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Auburn. They also plan to target real estate in Leeds, Trussville, Gardendale, Gadsden, Huntsville, Decatur and Florence.
The company, founded in 2019 by Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux creator Brandon Landry, expects to have about 350 total agreements signed by the end of this year. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is among the chain’s earliest investors.
Beaugez said in Mobile, his team is in the “early phases” of scouting sites though a Smalls Sliders press release said the sites could be in Foley, Daphne, Tillman’s Corner and Orange Beach.
Beaugez said once a site is picked out, the chain’s prefabricated modular structures – which look akin to a shipping container – will be “dropped” and construction will begin.
“It’s a unique and interesting design,” Beaugez said. “Instead of locations, we say we’re ‘dropping a new can.’ (The company) makes a whole big thing of it when they ‘drop the can.’ And once the can is dropped, it takes eight to 10 weeks before the doors open. So once that can is dropped, it’s about hitting the ground running.”
The first Mobile area franchise, Beaugez said, will open in late spring 2025.
“It depends on the real estate, location and what we can do,” Beaugez said.
He said he had been wanting to partner with Smalls Sliders for the past year as well as with his brother whose team – which includes Will Love and Jim Metteauer – oversee ServePro sites in several states.
“We met with the executive team, and everything seems to be a home run,” said Beaugez. “It’s like they have a dream team going on over there. I have all the faith in our team and in them to make sure we put together an exceptional service and products.”
Don Crocker, chief development officer at Smalls Sliders, praised the Mobile area team. Beaguez, himself, said he plans to move to the Mobile area to run the eateries.
“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group to our expanding Smalls Squad,” Crocker said in a statement. “Alabama has already shown tremendous enthusiasm for our brand, and we are confident that this ownership team will maintain our high standards of excellence as we enter new communities.”
Crocker added, “The demand for our premium cheeseburger sliders is growing, and experienced operators like Hunter, Taylor, Will and Jim are crucial to our continued expansion success.”
Alabama
Alabama Trending Towards Securing Commitment from Elite Recruit
Nothing is set in stone just yet, but it’s looking like Alabama is going to build on its trenches.
According to On3 / Rivals’ National Recruiting Reporter Sam Spiegelman, the Crimson Tide are trending toward receiving a commitment from four-star 2027 interior offensive lineman Ismael Camara.
Should Alabama nab the talented recruit out of Gilmer, TX, it would be the second high-ranked interior lineman of the 2027 class.
Earlier this season, the Crimson Tide had secured a commitment from Jatori Williams, the four-star lineman out of Phenix City, AL, and one who is the fifth ranked player at his position in the country.
Camara spoke with Spiegelman and revealed that he, along with 20 other recruits will be in Tuscaloosa for the LSU game – a game that holds such importance.
Not only that, he spoke on the relationship that he holds with offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, and how that relationship resonates with him.
“Coach Kap told me two things when we first talked — he has the best job in the world and that all the things he wants from his players are passion, a good attitude, maximum effort, being a good teammate, being prepared and available, and being coachable. That requires zero talent.”
He then went on to say how much the persistence in maintaining that relationship is something that he will always hold onto.
“I appreciate him investing in me like that, and I am trying to get better to live up to the standard at ‘Bama.”
The “Standard” is a real thing, and it’s not something that the brass take lightly. Nick Saban spent 17 seasons implementing a culture of greatness and players that have the dog in them to be great.
So Kalen DeBoer and his staff don’t want to lose sight of it. It may have been in question for a little, but for the time being, what you’re seeing is what you’re getting.
But the “Standard” is something that means a lot to Camara too, and it’s what has set apart Alabama from other schools.
“When we got into the facility and saw all the nattys, the SEC championships and Heisman Trophies, I really had the butterflies,” Camara said. “The way they treated each other and the way they treated me — it was not just an honor for me to be there, it was an honor for them to be there. They practiced like that. They operated like that. They hung together like that. That was when I really started to understand what makes Alabama ‘Bama,’”
Aside from it being a big game on the schedule, it’s a big game for the coaches take make sure the people they’re bringing in for the future know that the staff’s future is just the beginning for these young men.
Alabama
Alabama man charged with threatening synagogues, mosques
A Needham, Alabama man has been charged by federal prosecutors with making threats to rabbis and imams across the South.
Jeremy Wayne Shoemaker faces a charge of an interstate communications threat after investigators say he made multiple threatening calls and messages to Jewish and Muslim religious leaders.
The threats were made to rabbis in Alabama and Louisiana, an imam in Georgia, a church in North Carolina and more.
According to court documents, agents discovered multiple firearms in Shoemaker’s home as well as a suitcase containing ammunition and papers listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of religious leaders and other prominent figures.
Shoemaker told agents he did not intend to carry out an attack, but engage in “psychological warfare.”
An FBI agent attested that Shoemaker came to the department’s attention after making a series of threats including to a Mountain Brook rabbi earlier this month.
“I want you to die because you want the death of us,” Shoemaker said during one call. “You want the West to die off.”
The FBI agent also noted a 2024 threat from Shoemaker to an Islamic center in Louisiana, and a threatening message to a Georgia imam earlier this year.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama — and frontrunner for Alabama’s next governor — has recently drawn attention to the Muslim community, calling “radical Islam and Sharia Law … the greatest national security threat facing the United States.”
He also called Islam “fundamentally incompatible with our Western values.”
“So, wake up America. The Quran instructs Islamists to fight Jews and Christians, along with anyone else who doesn’t believe in Allah,” Tuberville said. “Simply put, Radical Islam teaches that it is righteous to kill Christians—[that] it’s righteous. There is no peaceful coexistence with this type of people. None.”
Alabama
How to Watch Alabama vs North Dakota: Live Stream NCAA College Basketball, TV Channel
The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in this college basketball matchup on Monday at Coleman Coliseum, and you can catch all the action with ESPN Unlimited.
How to Watch Alabama vs North Dakota
- Date: Monday, November 3, 2025
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- Channel: SEC Network+
- Stream: ESPN Unlimited (watch now)
The Alabama Crimson Tide tip off the 2025‑26 season with plenty of momentum and transition under coach Nate Oats. After making a deep NCAA Tournament run last year, the Tide reload with young lead guard Labaron Philon Jr. stepping into a starring role and rising forward Keitenn Bristow bringing hype on the front line. Alabama’s roster also adds size and versatility through transfers like Noah Williamson, while returning shooters and athletes across the lineup support Oats’ up‑tempo, high‑spacing system. With their core freshened and expectations still high in the SEC, the key question is: can they take the next step and turn deep-tournament potential into a title-contending run?
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks enter the 2025‑26 season with a blend of rebuilding and hope under seventh‑year head coach Paul Sather. Fresh off a 12‑21 season (5‑11 in the Summit League), they’ll lean heavily on senior guard Eli King for leadership while integrating seven newcomers into the rotation. The schedule opens with a tough road game at Alabama Crimson Tide, setting the tone early for a season shaped by growth more than expectation. With only one returning starter, chemistry will take time—but if the freshmen acclimate and the Hawks tighten defensively, they could surprise in Summit League play.
This is a great college basketball matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
Live stream Alabama vs North Dakota on SEC Network+ with ESPN Unlimited: Start your subscription now!
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