SAVANNAH, Ga. (Dec. 8, 2023) – Parker’s Kitchen – a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader – recently hired four new team members to support the company’s continued growth in Georgia and South Carolina and strategic expansion into Florida while maintaining the highest standards of excellence, food quality and customer service.
New hires at Parker’s Kitchen include the following accomplished professionals:
DOUG CREW, Director of Facilities Maintenance — Doug Crew serves as the Director of Facilities Maintenance at Parker’s Kitchen, providing ongoing maintenance and support for all store equipment, structures and grounds to best serve the needs of Parker’s Kitchen’s customers. A people-first leader dedicated to transformational change, Crew brings 31 years of experience in convenience store-focused corporate maintenance management to his new position. Prior to joining Parker’s Kitchen, Crew served as the Senior Manager of Corporate Maintenance at 7-Eleven, where he led teams of more than 60 employees who supported the maintenance division. A longtime Speedway LLC employee, Crew previously served as a Commodity Manager for Purchasing and Commercial Services, Construction Manager, Manager for Security and Loss Management as well as Manager of Corporate Maintenance. Originally from Springfield, Ohio, Crew earned a B.S. in Purchasing and Materials Management as well as a B.A. in Production and Operations Management from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Crew recently moved to Savannah, Ga. and works at the Parker’s Kitchen corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga.
KATIE DEMBY, Food Service Category Manager — As the new Food Service Category Manager at Parker’s Kitchen, Katie Demby oversees food and beverage programs, including freshly prepared food, roller grill and dispensed beverages. She is responsible for implementing and organizing new product development and ensuring brand standards and safety regulations are being met while achieving budgeted revenue goals for high-quality food and beverage sales. A Food Safety-Certified Administrator, Demby brings nine years of experience in the convenience store industry to her new position. Demby previously served as the Foodservice Category Manager and Assistant Brand Manager for Circle K, where she increased category gross profit by selecting suppliers, evaluating new products, negotiating costs for foodservice items and developing marketing strategies. Earlier in her career, Demby served as a Marketing and Property Manager for Vanguard Property Management in Lakewood, Ohio, as a Promotions and Marketing Director for Clear Channel Radio in Cleveland, Ohio and as Assistant Sports Editor at WOIO Channel 19 News in Cleveland, Ohio. Originally from Cleveland, Demby earned a B.A. in Broadcasting and Mass Communications from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and a second bachelor’s degree via a study abroad program at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Demby recently relocated from St. Petersburg, Fla. to Pooler, Ga. and is based at the Parker’s Kitchen corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga.
TYLER DUCKWORTH, Financial Analyst — Tyler Duckworth serves as a Financial Analyst at Parker’s Kitchen, providing financial insight and data-driven recommendations that support company strategy and executive decision making. He is responsible for preparing monthly financial reviews with deep-dive analytics, collaborating with department heads to plan annual budgets, performing ROI analytics on capital projects and maintaining in-depth cash flow data. Prior to joining Parker’s Kitchen, Duckworth served as a Financial Analyst at Green Cubes Technology in Atlanta, where he was honored with the “Going the Extra Mile” Award for ensuring accurate reporting. Earlier in his career, Duckworth served as an analyst for the Atticus Franchise Group in Atlanta, a Financial Analyst and Margin Advisor for Ernst and Young LLP in Atlanta and an accountant at St. Joseph’s Candler Hospital in Savannah, Ga. A Savannah native, Duckworth earned a B.B.A. in Finance at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. He currently resides in Savannah, Ga. and works at the Parker’s Kitchen corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga.
CHRIS EVERSON, Senior Category Manager — Chris Everson is an accomplished, customer-focused professional who recently joined Parker’s Kitchen as the Senior Category Manager for cigarettes and other tobacco products, lottery and gaming, prepaid cards, health and beauty aids, propane, consignment and spirits. Prior to joining Parker’s Kitchen, Everson served as a Senior Category Manager for Alimentation Couche-Tard in Denver, Colo., where he was responsible for inside sales. Earlier in his career, Everson worked at tobacco company Reynolds American, where he served as Territory Manager, Lead Account Manager and Senior Division Manager. In 2018, he was honored with the National Team Leadership Award for launching Reynolds American’s first Modern Oral product across the region. A former professional golfer, Everson was featured on tours across the United States for six years. Originally from Washington State, Everson earned a B.S. in Sports Administration from the University of Nebraska Kearney in Kearney, Neb. He recently relocated to Savannah, Ga. from Colorado Springs, Colo. and is based at the Parker’s Kitchen’s corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these experienced, respected convenience industry professionals to our growing team at Parker’s Kitchen,” said Parker’s Kitchen President Brandon Hofmann. “We’re confident that they will help us achieve our operations, facilities, food service and financial goals for 2024 and beyond.”
Parker’s Kitchen stands apart as one of America’s most respected convenience store brands and is known for having the cleanest stores in the industry. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., the company has enjoyed robust 20 to 24 percent annual growth every year for the past 25 years and has been featured six times on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The company also offers an acclaimed Parker’s Rewards program, which saves customers time and money at the pump as well as in the store.
Earlier this year, Parker’s Kitchen was recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina in an independent survey conducted by SC Biz. In 2020, Parker’s was named the Convenience Store Chain of the Year by Convenience Store Decisions, which is the industry’s highest honor. The company has also 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.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s Kitchen has grown to become an award-winning company that has been voted one of America’s top 10 gas station brands by USA TODAY readers. The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date. Parker’s employs more than 1,200 individuals throughout South Carolina and Georgia and completes more than 120,000 transactions daily.
ABOUT PARKER’S KITCHEN:
Honored as the 2020 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 southeast Georgia and South Carolina. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s Kitchen has a commitment to exceeding customer expectations and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s leading convenience store and foodservice companies. 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 company’s popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date. Learn more: parkerskitchen.com.
