Five Star Food Service on Tuesday announces the acquisition of Rawls Distributing, a Canteen franchise based in Savannah, Ga. The acquisition expands the company’s service territory to the east and to the north along Georgia’s coast from its nearby locations in Brunswick and Douglas.
“We are grateful to be establishing ourselves in Savannah and the Coastal Georgia region," said Richard Kennedy, Five Star's president and CEO. "Robin and the team at Rawls Distributing built a successful business with strong values and community relationships. The addition of the Rawls’ business is an excellent complement to our operations in South Georgia.”
Rawls Distributing was originally founded in 1976 as a Tom’s Foods Franchise by brothers Robin and Kevin Rawls. Robin assumed sole ownership upon the passing of his brother Kevin in 1995. Since 2006, Rawls Distributing has been a member of the Canteen franchise group. The unexpected passing of Robin in June of 2021 set into motion plans for the family to sell the company, cementing his legacy.
“As industry peers and neighboring Canteen franchises, we had gotten to know Robin over the years. Our team was saddened to hear of his untimely passing,” said Mark Stephanos, senior vice president of Operations for Five Star. “We are very honored to have the opportunity to carry forward the success of his business.”
Company leadership also visited Coastal Georgia’s food bank providing an introductory investment in the community via a donation from the company’s non-profit foundation, Feeding the Future. With the gift, America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia will be able to provide over 14,000 meals to local families.