Dive Brief:
- Parker’s Kitchens hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony June 13 to celebrate the opening of its first convenience store in Augusta, Georgia, on May 22, according to a recent company announcement.
- The store officially opened to the public on May 22, according to the announcement. The forecourt features 19 fuel dispensers which offer several types of gasoline, while the c-store itself features Parker’s popular Southern-inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, which customers can order via kiosks.
- This comes about a year after Parker’s revealed plans to reach Augusta, one of several new regions the company has been eyeing as it looks to nearly double its footprint by 2027.
Dive Insight:
Although Parker’s already operates more than 50 c-stores in Georgia, nearly all of those locations are in the Southeastern part of the state. Augusta, meanwhile, is about 120 miles northwest of Parker’s headquarters of Savannah, near where the bulk of its Georgia stores are located.
“Augusta is on the rise and is an exciting place to be,” Parker’s Kitchen Founder and CEO Greg Parker said in the announcement. “We’re incredibly honored to be part of the community and have received an incredible response from customers in the Augusta area.”
Parker’s first Augusta store is located at the intersection of Mike Padgett Highway and Tobacco Road. Competing retailers in the area include a handful of Circle K convenience stores and several independent operators.
Like every new-to-industry Parker’s location, the Augusta store has created 25 to 30 new jobs.
Founded in 1976, Savannah, Georgia-based Parker’s Kitchen currently operates 88 retail stores and employs 1,400 people in Georgia and South Carolina. Besides Augusta, the retailer is targeting Jacksonville, Florida; and Aiken and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in its broader growth plans.
