KINGSLAND, Ga. (Oct. 4, 2024) – Parker’s Kitchen – a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that was recently included on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America for the seventh time – hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening of the company’s largest-ever store on Oct. 4 in Kingsland, Ga. Local dignitaries in attendance included Kingsland Mayor Charles Grayson Day, Jr., Georgia House District 180 Representative Steven Sainz, Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor and Camden County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Alison Shores.
At the official ribbon cutting for the new Kingsland store, Parker’s Kitchen made a record $300,000 round-up campaign donation to Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP)to support injured local veterans throughout the company’s corporate footprint. The company’s largest round-up donation to date supports the WWP Warriors to Work® program, which provides veterans and their family members with the resources and assistance they need to be successful in the civilian workforce. Parker’s Kitchen matched 25 percent of all customer donations to amplify the impact. Wounded Warrior Project® Chief Program Officer Jen Silva accepted the donation.
“We’re really humbled and grateful for this generous donation from Parker’s Kitchen,” said Silva. “Wounded Warrior Project provide a wide range of programs for everything from veterans employment and mental health counseling to hurricane relief for warriors and their families. We’re very grateful for this support.”
Parker’s Kitchen also made a $5,000 Fueling the Community donation to support Camden County Schools at the ribbon cutting. The company’s Fueling the Community charitable initiative donates a percentage of gas sold at all Parker’s Kitchen locations on the first Wednesday of each month to area schools. Since the inception of the Fueling the Community program in 2011, the company has donated more than $2 million to area schools across Georgia and South Carolina. Camden County Schools Executive Director of Finance Jennifer Brown accepted the donation on behalf of local teachers and students.
“At Parker’s Kitchen, we want to be a great community partner, to give back to the community in transformative ways and to be a force for positive change,” said Parker’s Kitchen founder and CEO Greg Parker. “We are incredibly honored to support area veterans who have given so much to our nation and to give back to local schools right here in Camden County.”
The company’s new store in Kingsland, located at 1215 East King Ave. (I-95, Exit 3), marks the southernmost Parker’s Kitchen location on I-95 and is part of the company’s ongoing expansion toward Jacksonville, Fla. The Kingsland store is part of a cluster of stores in the company’s construction pipeline designed to serve residents and visitors throughout the metro Jacksonville area and south Georgia.
“We’re thrilled to open our biggest Parker’s Kitchen store right here in Kingsland at the gateway to Florida on I-95,” Parker added. “We’re deeply honored to serve customers in Camden County and have a powerful commitment to elevating the convenience store experience while giving back to the community.”
The new Kingsland store offers 7,122 square feet of retail space and features larger retail, food, and checkout areas, along with expanded bathrooms. The 6.84-acre site includes parking for large commercial trucks as well as cars and offers three grades of unleaded fuel as well as ethanol-free fuel, diesel and high-flow diesel.
The company’s newest store features award-winning, Southern-style, made-from-scratch Parker’s Kitchen food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as indoor dining, popular grab-and-go food options and a hot bar with convenient electronic kiosk ordering. Popular items include fresh, never-frozen, antibiotic-free, hand-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders, signature mac ‘n’ cheese, potato logs, the Parker’s Kitchen Spicy Chicken Tender Sandwich, freshly made salads and more.
The entire Parker’s Kitchen menu is handcrafted on-site from the freshest ingredients by local chefs who take pride in cooking for the communities where they live and work. Beverages include bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, freshly brewed sweet and unsweet tea, Fancy Lemonade, energy drinks, 28-degree beer and a wide range of fountain drinks with signature Parker’s Kitchen Chewy Ice.
Founded in Midway, Ga., in 1976, Parker’s Kitchen is currently in the middle of an ambitious expansion and plans to open 100 new stores over the next five years in new and existing markets, from Myrtle Beach, S.C. to Jacksonville, Fla.
Parker’s Kitchen employs more than 1,600 professionals throughout Georgia and South Carolina and completes more than a million transactions weekly. The company was named the Convenience Store Chain of the Year by Convenience Store Decisions, which is the industry’s highest honor, and has been honored by Food and Wine as one of America’s Best Convenience Stores and by Convenience Store News as the Convenience Foodservice Leader of the Year.
Always on the cutting edge, Parker’s Kitchen uses predictive analytics and machine learning to determine the most seamless, frictionless and time-efficient ways to complete transactions and to prepare the freshest possible food to meet customer demand. The company is also a pioneer in GPS-enabled mobile app technology, customer loyalty programs and high-quality foodservice.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s Kitchen has become a nationally acclaimed company that was voted the #4 Best Gas Station for Food and the #6 Best Gas Station Brand in America by USA TODAY readers in 2023. The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date.
Known for its commitment to charitable giving, Parker’s Kitchen stands apart as one of the most generous companies in the convenience store industry and in the Southeast. Over the past six years, the company has donated more than $30 million to support education, expand access to healthcare, fight childhood hunger and celebrate local heroes.
ABOUT PARKER’S KITCHEN:
Honored as the Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, Parker’s Kitchen is strategically redefining the nation’s convenience store industry, offering customers high-quality products, freshly prepared food and superior customer service at retail stores throughout Georgia and South Carolina. Proudly headquartered in Savannah, Ga., the company has a commitment to exceeding customer expectations and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s leading convenience store and foodservice companies. Included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America seven times, Parker’s Kitchen serves world-famous hand-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders as well as made-from-scratch mac ‘n’ cheese, a breakfast bar and daily specials. The popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members, has saved Parker’s Kitchen customers more than $15 million to date. Learn more: www.parkerskitchen.com.
RECENT AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:
● Inc. 5000 List – Fastest Growing Companies in America – Inc. Magazine (7 times)
● Top Workplaces USA 2024 – USA TODAY
● Best Places to Work in South Carolina – SC Biz
● Hall of Fame Inductee – Convenience Store News
● Best Gas Station Brand and Best Convenience Store Food Top 10 – USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
● Convenience Store Chain of the Year – Convenience Store Decisions
● Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award
● Legacy Leader – Georgia Trend
● America’s Best Convenience Stores – Food and Wine
● Southeast Retailer of the Year – The Shelby Report
● Convenience Foodservice Leader of the Year – Convenience Store News
● Top 10 U.S. Gas Station Brands – Gas Buddy
