The city of New Orleans, La., is famous for many things, including its food and music. In times of crisis, it is also known as a city that pulls together. Brothers Food Mart owner Eddie Hamdan oversees 45 convenience stores throughout the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, and that’s crucial to him. The Hamdans are an integral part of New Orleans, he says. We try to get involved as much as possible.”
The key to getting involved is to step up when necessary. The city of New Orleans was struck by one of the strongest tornadoes in recorded history in February. As Hamdan notes, Brothers Food Mart was there to assist the stricken community. Hamdan says his organization contributed to the recovery effort by providing supplies and food. Every effort is made to meet the needs of our clients.”
Local Flavor
Convenience stores often have a hard time standing out from the competition. A distinctive feature of Brothers Food Mart is its daily serving of fresh fried chicken, something that no other convenience store can offer. Hamdan says it’s our chicken that sets us apart. As well as keeping our customers loyal and having a local flavor.”
There is no secret to the recipe, but there is no secret to the freshness. Fresh chicken is delivered to the stores almost every day, and then it is prepared. The product never freezes because it is delivered practically every day, explains Hamdan. Our special New Orleans flour recipe is used to make the fries in addition to the fried chicken.
The Word is Out
There is no doubt that the taste has struck a chord with celebrities as well. The taste has been praised by some, including comedian Kevin Hart, who tweeted about it. “I can’t stop thinking about how good it was,” Hart tweeted. Over the course of the last three days, I have eaten 40 pieces. It was from a place called Brother’s. The second season of AMC TV’s “Preacher,” which filmed in New Orleans, also raves about Brothers. Rogen mentioned Brothers as one of his favorite New Orleans food discoveries in a recent episode of the web series “Hot Ones.”
The success of Brothers Food Mart has led to its expansion. Two of its Baton Rouge and two of its New Orleans locations have already opened in the past year. Despite Hamdan’s desire to continue expanding, he will only do so in areas where he is already familiar with the customer base.
At the moment we’re considering Texas or Atlanta, Hamdan says, but there’s no specific information available yet. “We are definitely interested in staying in the Gulf region, so Alabama is also on our radar.”
The awareness of Brothers Food Mart is about to surge no matter which state it expands into next. As part of a new billion-dollar terminal at Louis Armstrong International Airport, Brothers Food Mart was selected as a tenant earlier this year. By February 2019, the terminal will be completed, and international and domestic travelers will have the opportunity to sample the chain’s products.
As Hamdan recalls, being selected took a long time. The selection committee recognized the future in the company, so we really competed for it. That’s a huge deal for us.”
Fuel Partners
As well as its unique offerings, Brothers Food Mart relies on strong partnerships with leading fuel providers. There are a mix of Exxon and Shell stores as well as a few Mobil stores in its network.
Brothers Food Mart is able to offer fuel specials thanks to its strong partnerships, particularly with premium fuel. Hamdan says the company offers a price-matching program. At the moment, we will match any price offered by Shell or Exxon branded fuels.”
A significant customer rewards program is also offered through these partnerships. Exxon participates in Plenti Rewards, an incentive program that enables customers to accumulate points by filling up on fuel. Fuel Rewards Network, or FRN, is a similar program that Shell is a member of. Brothers Food Mart customers can redeem their points when they make purchases through both programs.
Local Base
The need for quality people grows as Brothers Food Mart continues to grow and expand throughout the Gulf region. The career paths that Hamdan offers at his company have led to long tenures for many employees. Almost 23 years have passed since Hamdan worked here. Training is extensive, and we take very good care of our employees.”
There are usually four employees at each store: the manager, assistant manager, cashier, and head cashier. The supervisor oversees the store, and typically a supervisor oversees between five and seven stores.
The company has a staff of just under 500 people, Hamdan says, noting the importance of attracting skilled workers from the local area. “Many of our employees are deeply attached to this community, and they are seeing that we are on the right track,” he says. The feeling of being with a growing company is always great.”
