Three Texas C-stores Honored for Foodservice Achievements

HOUSTON — Three convenience store operators in southeast Texas received Big Madre Tacos y Tortas Captain's Awards in recognition of their foodservice investment and operating achievements in 2023.

Big Madre Tacos y Tortas leaders presented the inaugural awards during the Kudos Unite evening reception, which kicked off the 2023 Greater Houston Retailers Association Inc. (GHRA) Trade Show on Oct. 24. 

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The c-stores were:

• Best Operation winner: Yippee’s, located at 1222 North Farm to Market 3083 West in Conroe, and owned by Kasheef Dhukani.
• Highest Sales Growth winner: Buy Bye, located at 3500 Harvey Road in College Station, and owned by Karim Momin.
• Most Locations Opened winner: Owner Lehjatali Momin, who operates Big Madre Tacos y Tortas restaurant service at 11 convenience stores in Anderson, Baytown, Centerville, Cleveland, Houston, Magnolia and Tomball.

GHRA Vice President of Retail Jeffrey Reeder explained that the awards are named for Glenn Cates, GHRA's corporate executive chef, whom his colleagues respectfully refer to as "Captain."

"The team at Yippee’s … received the 2023 Big Madre Tacos y Tortas Captain's Award for Best Operator because they most embody the excellence that Captain learned from his mother and expects from others," Reeder said. "Yippee's consistently delivers care to details that results in top quality food and experiences that wow their customers."

In addition to the Captain's Awards, GHRA also presented five convenience retail vendors with a Kudos Award for their achievements, along with recognitions to five GHRA member convenience store operators for having the highest annual revenue from the GHRA Warehouse and Distribution Center. The Kudos awards are named after GHRA’s new Kudos convenience retail brand. 

Big Madre Tacos y Tortas is a Mexican food brand developed and licensed by the GHRA. It currently operates 37 locations across the greater Houston and southeast Texas regions.

GHRA is a membership organization that provides resources to independently owned and operated convenience retail stores throughout greater Houston and southeast Texas. The group represents nearly 1,100 individual members who own and operate more than 2,000 convenience retail stores in neighborhoods across 37 counties. GHRA’s family of brands include Kudos, Big Madre Tacos y Tortas and GHRA Fuels.