John Rhine joined Parker’s Kitchen as a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) analyst in 2020. Now he is the Savannah, Georgia-based chain’s chief financial officer.
In his new position, Rhine said the most important thing for him is to build a financial foundation that allows Parker’s to double the company’s size without doubling its complexity.
“That means maturing our planning processes, elevating the quality of our data and analytics and ensuring our capital is deployed into the highest-return opportunities—whether that’s new-to-industry builds, land acquisition strategies, foodservice expansion, or margin-accretive initiatives,” Rhine said.
- Parker's Kitchen is No. 73 on CSP’s 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
When it comes to the highlights of working at Parker’s, Rhine points to the team.
“Our leadership team is truly the tip of the spear in convenience retail— taking on one of the most aggressive organic growth strategies in the industry and executing at an incredibly high level,” he said.
A U.S. Army veteran who served with the 1st Ranger Battalion and the 75th Ranger Regiment, Rhine has defined himself as a “talented data-driven, team-focused leader at Parker’s Kitchen,” the company said in September when his promotion was announced.
“In 2026, we’ll be breaking ground on two new-to-industry locations per month, and our growth strategy is focused on rapidly expanding markets across Georgia, South Carolina and Florida as well as areas we believe are currently underserved.” —John Rhine, Parker’s
“There are a lot of things to be proud of at Parker’s—our deep charitable commitment in the communities we serve, being named Rookie of the Year Business Partner by the Wounded Warrior Project, and the exceptional growth plan we’re executing,” he said.
When it comes to growth, Rhine previously helped secure a $1.1 billion loan to finance the convenience-store leader’s ambitious growth plans, with expansion in new markets, including Jacksonville, Florida, and Columbia, South Carolina.
“In 2026, we’ll be breaking ground on two new-to-industry locations per month, and our growth strategy is focused on rapidly expanding markets across Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as areas we believe are currently underserved,” he said.
When it comes to the biggest threats or challenges for the c-store industry, Rhine said fuel-supply volatility, labor turnover and the customer’s financial well-being top the list.
“The broader financial health of our customers will be an important factor to monitor in 2026,” he said. “During COVID-19, many consumers were able to build savings, expand credit limits, or even purchase new vehicles.”
Rhine said that with those savings now largely depleted, data is showing a growing shift toward credit card usage, coupled with rising delinquency rates.
“This dynamic is concerning, and it underscores the importance of reinforcing our value proposition,” he said. “Highlighting quality, convenience and price competitiveness will be critical as consumers become more cost-conscious.”
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