Dive Brief:

• Parker’s Kitchen is taking the first steps toward an expansion into northern Florida, which would be its first store in the state, according to a report from the Jacksonville Daily Record. 
• The newspaper reported that Drayton-Parker Companies, which develops Parker’s Kitchens, bought a nearly 10-acre plot on Faye Road and Alta Drive in Jacksonville. The application indicated there will be 24 fueling positions, the newspaper reported. 
• A move into Florida would be the latest step in an aggressive expansion plan from the convenience retailer, whose current footprint is currently limited to South Carolina and Georgia.

Dive Insight:

Expanding to new markets is helping Parker’s pursue goals of more than doubling its footprint. In an interview with La Isla Magazine earlier this year, Vanessa Lehnen, Parker’s talent acquisition manager, said, “We currently operate 75 locations with an ambitious plan to open 97 new locations soon.”

A representative from Parker’s did not respond to an inquiry from C-Store Dive about the new Florida location by press time.

In June, Parker’s made a big push further north in South Carolina by opening its first store in Georgetown.  Later that month, the company announced plans to push into Augusta, more than 70 miles northwest of its current footprint. And if the site in Jacksonville pans out, it would give the company a new foothold more than 80 miles south of its nearest store in Jessup, Georgia.

The Augusta expansion, announced on June 14, will see its first store open in 2024 at the intersection of Windsor Spring Road and Tobacco Road. Additional locations in that area should be announced in coming months.

Parker’s Kitchen stores offer a robust made-to-order food menu with options such as breakfast options, a variety of sandwiches, and fried chicken, catfish and more. 

In addition to expanding its footprint, Parker’s has made a number of technology upgrades so far in 2023. It started by updating its website with mobile ordering and live gas prices in February. That was followed by a new loyalty app in March that includes more security features and a user-friendly design; and a subscription program called Chewy’s Drink Club for its fountain drinks.

Founded in 1976, Savannah, Georgia-based Parker’s, which was founded in 1976, currently has more than 70 Parker’s and Parker’s Kitchens locations in Georgia and South Carolina.