STATESBORO, Ga. (Nov. 19, 2025) – Parker’s Kitchen —the official convenience store of Georgia Southern Athletics — hosted a special “GameDay The Parker’s Way” ultimate tailgate event on Saturday, Nov. 15 to celebrate the company’s new partnership with Georgia Southern Athletics. Thousands of Eagles fans gathered outside the newly branded Parker’s Kitchen Student Entrance to Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. for cornhole, music, food and fun before the football game against Coastal Carolina University.
In addition, Parker’s Kitchen Vice President of Marketing Darrin Samaha presented a $28,000 donation to Bulloch County Schools during the game as part of the company’s Fueling the Community program, a charitable initiative that donates a portion of gas sold at all Parker’s Kitchen locations on the first Wednesday of the month to area schools. Kelly Spence, Executive Director of Academic Support at Bulloch County Schools, accepted the Fueling the Community donation on behalf of Bulloch County students, teachers and staff.
“We’re excited to be part of Eagle Nation and to support the community in Statesboro and across Bulloch County,” Samaha said. “We believe that education has the power to transform lives and are deeply committed to helping students in Bulloch County soar on the field, in the classroom and in their chosen career paths.”
The pre-game festivities also featured a special appearance by Chewy, the official Parker’s Kitchen mascot, and exciting giveaways for new and existing Parker’s Rewards members. The popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program has 650,000 members and has saved customers more than $30 million to date. Customers can utilize the Parker’s Rewards mobile app to easily order fresh, made-from-scratch Parker’s Kitchen food, activate the fuel pump, stack fuel discounts earned through in-store purchases and pay via their smartphone.
In September 2025, Parker’s Kitchen announced an exciting new long-term partnership with Georgia Southern Athletics that is deepening the company’s commitment to Georgia Southern University and to the Statesboro, Ga. community. The four-year partnership includes a newly branded, designated student entrance for home football games at Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro as well as high-profile stadium signage across all sports designed to make a strong visual impact.
In addition, Parker’s Kitchen is recognized as “The Official Convenience Store of Georgia Southern Athletics” and will launch its first-ever NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) partnership with Georgia Southern football standout Davion “Chewy” Rhodes, who shares the same nickname as the convenience store company’s iconic mascot. This collaboration spotlights Davion as the face of the new Parker’s Kitchen Chewy Rhodes Hot Honey Combo, which is featured across digital platforms as well as in social media campaigns, in-store marketing and game-day activations.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Parker’s Kitchen for their investment in Georgia Southern and the greater Bulloch County community,” said Georgia Southern Director of Athletics Chris Davis. “Their partnership not only enhances the game day experience for our student-athletes and fans, but also makes a lasting impact through their commitment to education and community support. Parker’s continues to show what it means to be a true partner in helping our university and our region thrive.”
Founded in Midway, Ga., in 1976, Parker’s Kitchen employs more than 1,800 team members throughout South Carolina and Georgia and completes more than 1.1 million transactions weekly. Parker’s Kitchen 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 USA TODAY as a Top Workplace, 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. Parker’s Kitchen is currently expanding into new markets including Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Columbia, S.C.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s Kitchen has become a nationally acclaimed company and has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America eight times. Known for its commitment to making a transformative impact on the communities where it operates stores, Parker’s Kitchen has donated more than $30 million to a wide range of charitable causes over the past eight years, helping to support education, reduce hunger, expand access to healthcare and help injured local veterans.
ABOUT PARKER’S KITCHEN:
Honored by USA TODAY as a Top Workplace, 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., 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. The company 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 has 650,000 members and has saved customers more than $30 million to date. Parker’s Kitchen employs more than 1,800 team members throughout Georgia and South Carolina and completes more than 1.1 million transactions weekly. Learn more: parkerskitchen.com.
ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN ATHLETICS:
Georgia Southern Athletics features 17 NCAA Division I varsity teams in a wide range of sports, primarily competing in the Sun Belt Conference. The university supports 400+ student-athletes through Student-Athlete Services, focusing on academic support, mentoring and holistic development to prepare them for success both in their sport and beyond graduation. Athletics at Georgia Southern aim to enhance campus life, build prestige within the conference and create well-rounded leaders through discipline, leadership and teamwork. Learn more: gseagles.com
PHOTO CAPTION: Parker’s Kitchen Vice President Darrin Samaha, left, presented a Fueling the Community donation for $28,000 to Bulloch County Schools at a Georgia Southern University home football game in Statesboro, Ga. on November 15. Kelly Spence, the Executive Director of Academic Support for Bulloch County Schools, second from left, accepted the donation on behalf of the local school system.
PHOTO CAPTION: Parker’s Kitchen hosted an epic tailgate celebration at Georgia Southern University on November 15, celebrating the company’s new partnership with Georgia Southern Athletics. Eagles fans gathered outside the newly branded Parker’s Kitchen Student Entrance to Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. for cornhole, music, food and fun before the football game against Coastal Carolina University.
