HOUSTON, Texas (Oct. 31, 2023) – The Big Madre Tacos y Tortas leadership team recently presented three convenience retail store operators in southeast Texas with awards to recognize their 2023 exemplary food service investment and operating achievements.
Receiving the 2023 Big Madre Tacos y Tortas Captain’s Awards were:
- For Best Operator, Yippee’s, 1222 North Farm to Market 3083 West in Conroe, Texas, owned by Kasheef Dhukani
- For Highest Sales Growth, Buy Bye, 3500 Harvey Road in College Station, Texas, owned by Karim Momin
- For Most Locations Opened, 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.
Big Madre Tacos y Tortas is an authentic Mexican food brand developed and licensed by the Greater Houston Retailers Association, Inc. (GHRA). With 37 locations open across Greater Houston and southeast Texas, Big Madre Tacos y Tortas is committed to serving affordable, homestyle Mexican cuisine and extraordinary convenient dining experiences.
Big Madre Tacos y Tortas leaders presented the inaugural Captain’s Awards during the Kudos Unite evening reception of celebration and collaboration on Oct. 24 that kicked off the 2023 GHRA Trade Show, “Next Gen: Collaborating to Achieve.” GHRA Vice President of Retail Jeffrey Reeder explained that the awards are named for Glenn Cates, GHRA’s corporate executive chef, who his colleagues respectfully refer to as “Captain.”
“Born out of a mother’s love for cooking, Big Madre Tacos y Tortas focuses on family and tradition,” Reeder explained. “Every recipe, from the marinades to the salsas, beans and rice, and the handmade flour tortillas, was honed over decades by our very own Captain – an executive chef with over 50 years of experience, who learned from the very best — his very own madre!”
“The team at Yippee’s in Conroe, led by owner Kasheef Dhukani, 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.”
Announcing the 2023 Big Madre Tacos y Tortas Captain’s Award for Highest Sales Growth, Reeder said, “One reason that Big Madre Tacos y Tortas is growing as a brand of interest is that our license owners are seeing significant growth in sales and generating profit from the business. Karim Momin and the team at Big Madre Tacos y Tortas at the Buy Bye convenience store in College Station, Texas, are consistently serving customers what they want, how they want it. The food is served fresh, fast, and full of flavor — so that customers return often on their way to work and throughout their busy days.”
The third Big Madre Tacos y Tortas Captain’s Award recognized Lehjatali Momin (Lem) for opening the most Big Madre Tacos y Tortas locations. Momin recently opened his 11th Big Madre Tacos y Tortas location at Time Maxx # 6 at 6199 Decker Dr., Baytown, Texas. Other Big Madre Tacos y Tortas that Lehjatali Momin owns are located in Anderson at Time Maxx # 5, 8457 Highway 90 North; in Baytown at Time Maxx # 13, 5745 North Main St., and Time Maxx # 1, 16160 Interstate Highway 10; in Centerville at Time Maxx # 4, 950 Highway 7; in Cleveland at Cleveland Market, 1030 FM 2025, and Sammy’s at 10310 FM 2025; in Houston at Time Maxx # 7, 15710 Ella Blvd; in Magnolia at M-N-M Grocery, 1510 FM 1486 Road, and Hardin Food Store, 2635 Hardin Store Road; and in Tomball at Boudreaux Express, 14701 Boudreaux Road.
In addition to the Big Madre Captain’s Awards, GHRA last week presented five convenience retail vendors with Kudos Awards for their achievements and 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 that aims to serve every customer as an everyday hero and recognize achievements of those who serve and help others.
The 2023 GHRA Trade Show was held on Oct. 25 at Houston NRG Center. It was the association’s 12th and largest ever annual trade show with more than 2,000 independent convenience store owners and operators, suppliers, vendors, and other industry leaders participating.
Commenting on the theme and impact of the trade show, GHRA Chief Executive Officer Brian Trout said: “Working together, our members, vendors, suppliers, and staff are defining and delivering the next generation of convenience retail. Their success is important to the many customers, communities, and neighborhoods they serve throughout the Greater Houston Area and southeast Texas.”
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About Big Madre Tacos y Tortas
Big Madre Tacos y Tortas is an authentic Mexican food brand developed by the Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association, Inc. (GHRA). With 37 locations open across southeast Texas, Big Madre is committed to serving the community affordable, homestyle Mexican cuisine and unforgettable dining experiences. Learn more at https://www.bigmadre.com.
About Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association, Inc. (GHRA)
Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association, Inc. is a membership organization that provides resources to independently owned and operated convenience retail stores in greater Houston and southeast Texas. GHRA’s nearly 1,100 individual members are entrepreneurs who own and operate more than 2,000 convenience retail stores in neighborhoods across 37 counties of Houston and southeast Texas. Together, GHRA members represent more than a third of the retail stores in the region. GHRA’s family of brands include Kudos, Big Madre Tacos y Tortas, and GHRA Fuels. GHRA members also developed the Greater Houston Retailers Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has contributed to several community efforts with a particular focus on an annual golf tournament that raises funds to provide support to families of peace officers and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. To learn more, visit https://www.ghraonline.com.
Shown are, from left: GHRA Retail Vice President Jeffrey Reeder; GHRA Food Service Operations Coordinator Brendon Florestant: GHRA Food Services Director of Operations Doug Boone; GHRA Executive Chef Glenn (Captain) Cates; Yippee’s Owner Kasheef Dhukani; GHRA Board of Director President Imran Ali; and GHRA Chief Executive Officer Brian Trout.
Shown are, from left: GHRA Retail Vice President Jeffrey Reeder; GHRA Food Service Operations Coordinator Brendon Florestant; GHRA Food Services Director of Operations Doug Boone; Buy Bye Owner Karim Momin; GHRA Corporate Executive Chef Glenn (Captain) Cates; GHRA Board of Director President Imran Ali; and GHRA Chief Executive Officer Brian Trout.
Shown are, from left: GHRA Retail Vice President Jeffrey Reeder; GHRA Food Service Operations Coordinator Brendon Florestant; GHRA Food Services Director of Operations Doug Boone; GHRA Corporate Executive Chef Glenn (Captain) Cates; GHRA Member Lehjatali Momin; GHRA Board of Director President Imran Ali; and GHRA Chief Executive Officer Brian Trout.
