The chain has opened its first c-store in the Augusta, Ga., market, with one more to come next month.

By Kevin McIntyre | May 22, 2024

Parker’s Kitchen has opened its first retail store in Augusta, Ga., with another planned to open in June. Both locations will be open 24/7 to serve customers across the region.

The first new Parker’s Kitchen opened May 22 at 5 a.m. Strategically positioned at the intersection of Mike Padgett Highway and Tobacco Road, the company’s first Augusta, Ga., store will offer award-winning, Southern-inspired food, high-quality fuel and much more.

The next site, located in North Augusta, S.C., is expected to open June 12. The North Augusta store is situated at the I-520 off-ramp and is positioned for local residents, commuters and visitors to grab signature Parker’s Kitchen food, convenience items, auto fuel and high-flow diesel.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to open our first Parker’s Kitchen locations in the fast-growing Augusta market,” said Parker’s Kitchen founder and CEO Greg Parker. “We’re laser-focused on exceeding customer expectations and being a great community partner. We can’t wait to serve our customers in the Augusta area, elevate the convenience store experience for local residents and give back to the community right here in Augusta and North Augusta.”

Both Augusta-area stores will feature 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 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 fresh ingredients by local chefs.

Additional highlights include bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, freshly brewed sweet and unsweet tea, Fancy Lemonade, 28-degree beer and a wide range of fountain drinks with signature Parker’s Kitchen Chewy Ice.

The inviting store design at both locations features signature Parker’s Kitchen Lowcountry-inspired architecture with a modern, contemporary glass-front façade, lime-washed brick, handsome bracketry, designer lighting and clean bathrooms. Both stores feature 19 fuel dispensers, offering regular, mid-grade, premium, diesel, ethanol-free, truck diesel and DEF fuel.

Parker’s Kitchen currently operates 87 retail stores in Georgia and South Carolina and plans to double the number of stores across the Southeast in the next four years. The company is currently in the midst of a major expansion into new markets including Augusta, Ga.; Aiken, S.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Jacksonville, Fla.

Parker’s In The Community

Every new-to-industry store provides 25 to 30 jobs for local residents, offering highly competitive salary and benefits packages. Parker’s Kitchen also employs 75 to 85 contractors to build each new store in the metro Augusta area.

Known for its longstanding commitment to charitable giving, Parker’s Kitchen has donated more than $30 million over the past eight years to local causes and has noted its commitment to supporting education, expanding access to healthcare, reducing childhood hunger and celebrating local heroes.

Parker’s Kitchen is currently conducting a round-up campaign to support local injured veterans, with proceeds benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. Parker’s Kitchen matches 25% of all customer round-up donations to amplify the impact of customer giving.

In addition, the Parker’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. The company has donated more than $2 million to area schools across South Carolina and Georgia since the inception of the Fueling the Community program in 2011.

Honored as the 2020 CStore Decisions Chain of the Year and headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s Kitchen has enjoyed robust 20-24% 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.

The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date.

Parker’s Kitchen employs 1,400 professionals throughout South Carolina and Georgia, and completes nearly a million transactions weekly.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Incumbent Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree could be headed to a runoff against challenger Gino Brantley – but the vote totals from Tuesday’s Democratic primary are too close to call the election.

With all precincts reporting in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Roundtree had 49% of the votes, compared to 28% of the votes for Brantley.

In the three-way Democratic primary, challenger Bo Johnson had 23% of the vote.

To win the primary, a candidate would need 50% plus one vote.

With provisional ballots still out and possibly uncounted for another 72 hours, the numbers could change enough to keep Roundtree out of a runoff – so the race is too close to call.

Brantley is ready for the next round.

“We will continue to work to earn your vote,” he said in a statement. “This community deserves a sheriff that is accessible, active and approachable.”

Roundtree is the incumbent sheriff of 12 years.

The winner of this race – or the runoff, if there’s no clear winner – will appear on the November ballot.

Also hoping to appear on that ballot is independent Richard Dixon.

To do that, he’ll need to get about 6,700 signatures by July 9.

If he doesn’t get those signatures and if one of the three Democratic candidates gets more than 50% of the vote, Tuesday’s primary could decide the next sheriff.

Johnson and Brantley said Tuesday that the recurring theme of the campaign trail has been change.

“I’ve been getting great responses from people,” Brantley said. “We definitely need change, we definitely deserve better service from our sheriff’s office and that’s why I’m running.

Johnson said he’d been getting the same message from voters.

“Everywhere we go, no matter if we’re stopping to fill our gas tank, or stopping to grab something quick to eat, everyone says hey we need change and that’s what they’re looking for right now,” he said.

Roundtree wasn’t available to speak to us Tuesday.

About the candidates

RICHARD ROUNDTREE

Elected three times before, and with experience ranging from running patrol to learning from the FBI national academy, Roundtree’s confidence lies in the fact he’s been in this seat before.

“Our platform is our record. The city of Augusta has become safer over the last 12 years, and I think the citizens see that,” he said.

He touts an expanding Flock camera program that started two years ago, with eyes set on a future real-time crime center.

“We started off with 25 cameras as demos, and we are well over 100 cameras now throughout the city. There’s no exit or entry point in Augusta that they can come into Richmond County that they will not be caught on a Flock camera,” said Roundtree.

But his focus is tackling gun violence, especially aimed at our youths.

“These young kids and violence, I mean, that’s it. It’s something we have to do and it’s not just a law enforcement issue. This is going to have to be a community project,” said Roundtree.

GINO BRANTLEY

Brantley started working for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in 2000 and went to work for the Marshal’s Office in 2016. He’s now a sergeant who oversees evictions.

From his point of view, he says the standard has dropped.

“The state of the sheriff’s office is in a bit of disarray and the citizens of the county deserve better service from the sheriff’s office,” said Brantley.

He cites poor response times to emergencies, a lack of morale and a need for more deputies to be active in the community as reasons to run for office.

He also wants to take on a unique approach to solve overcrowding at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

“How many of the inmates in the jail are in there because of mental health problems and probably should be in the hospital or some mental health institution and not the jail? And we probably have 20 to 25%, I would think,” he said.

Brantley says the root of solving these issues is retaining more officers. Fewer officers leaving for nearby counties would lead to more interest in joining the Richmond County cause.

BO JOHNSON

After 10 years of service as a deputy in Richmond County, Johnson spent most of his career as a federal air marshal.

Working alongside the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and law enforcement liaison, he eventually retired last year as a senior agent.

“A lot of my opposition has only worked in this area only, and that’s great that they’ve spent their time here. I feel like with myself, although I have spent some time here, I branched out,” said Johnson.

A number of concerns brought him out of retirement to run for sheriff, but retaining officers was at the top of his list.

He vowed to start a new department focused on bringing in people who want to make Augusta their permanent home.

“Back when I was a young deputy, you had a sense of pride and you could feel the respect that came from the citizens of Richmond County back then. I want to see that again. I want to see our deputies feel that pride,” said Johnson.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Half the seats were up for grabs in the Augusta Commission on Tuesday in the Georgia primary election, and the results are in:

• Commissioner Jordan Johnson kept his seat with 59% of the vote, vs. 31% for Matt Aitken. 9% for Jo-Rae Jenkins and 1% for Kenny Osorio.
• Commissioner Catherine Smith McKnight kept her District 3 seat with 68% of the vote, compared to 24% for Carol Yancy and 8% for Joidaz Gaines.
• DC Clark defeated Bobby Williams for the District 5 seat, 53% to 47%.
• Tina Slendak took the District 7 seat with 63% of the vote, compared to 37% for Marshall Bedder.
• Francine Scott defeated former Commissioner Marion Williams for the District 9 seat. Scott has 64% of the vote, compared to 36% for Williams.

In this election cycle, only Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 were on the ballot in the nonpartisan race.

There’s a lot on the table, and that’s because commission plays a big role in your everyday life.

They determine your property taxes or whether the pothole on your street gets paved. They also approve new developments and ordinances like Sunday liquor sales.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.