Parker’s Kitchen – a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader – is delighted to announce that Senior Real Estate Project Manager Thomas Mathewes has been named a “Future Leader in Convenience” by Convenience Store News for his impressive professional achievements. A Charleston, S.C. native, Mathewes is one of 36 industry professionals age 35 and younger who are being honored in 2023. 

“Thomas is making a major impact on our company and is sending ripples through the industry with his impressive real estate knowledge,” said Parker’s Kitchen founder and CEO Greg Parker. “He is helping us grow our corporate footprint in strategic ways that position Parker’s Kitchen as a community partner in exciting new markets throughout the Southeast.”

Mathewes was named to the sixth annual class of Convenience Store News’ Future Leaders in Convenience, an honor that celebrates the next generation of convenience store industry leaders and provides a forum for talented young professionals to develop their leadership skills.

At Parker’s Kitchen, Mathewes identifies, acquires and develops new store locations throughout coastal Georgia and South Carolina. He creates and executes the company’s market strategy in key regions and plays a critical role in the corporate expansion into new markets. Most notably, Mathewes led the project team of engineers, architects and attorneys through the development of the first Parker’s Kitchen location in Charleston, S.C. 

Prior to joining Parker’s Kitchen, Mathewes served as an Associate Broker with The Peninsula Company in Mount Pleasant, S.C. and Roadstead Real Estate Advisors in Charleston, S.C., specializing in the sale and leasing of historic properties as well as land and investment sales. He earned a B.A. in Historic Preservation from the College of Charleston and is a licensed Realtor in South Carolina.

Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s Kitchen stands apart as one of America’s most respected convenience store brands and has enjoyed steady 20 to 24 percent annual growth every year for the past 25 years. The company has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America six times. 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.

Parker’s Kitchen gives back to support communities where stores are located through a range of charitable initiatives, including the company’s Fueling the Community program and the Parker’s Community Fund. Since January 2021, Parker’s Kitchen has donated more than $22 million to the Parker’s Community Fund to support charitable initiatives throughout the company’s corporate footprint in coastal Georgia and South Carolina. The company has also donated more than $11 million to area schools to support education across the region.

Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s Kitchen has grown to become an award-winning company that was recently voted the #4 Best Gas Station for Food and the #6 Best Gas Station Brand in America 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 currently operates 76 stores, employs more than 1,200 professionals throughout Georgia and South Carolina and completes more than 120,000 transactions daily.