80+ Years of Serving Los Angeles… from Locals to Celebrities

goEBT EBT processing merchant Hawkins House of Burgers, home to “The Best Burger in Los Angeles,” has been a staple in the Watts neighborhood of southeast Los Angeles for more than 80 years. Cynthia Hawkins, the youngest of 14 children, is the third generation of her family to manage this business, which has adapted over the years to fit the needs of the community.

50 Years and Counting in the Food Industry

goEBT EBT processing merchant Sr. Cliff’s Texas Style Burritos, home of the original Soul Man burrito, has been providing Afro-Mexican fusion food to the Compton community since 1992. However, the story of this community staple actually began in 1969, when founder and co-owner Cliff Williams arrived in California.

While we have numerous customers scattered across the country with unique qualities, this month's Merchant Spotlight provides a wide range of products and services for their customers that many others can not match. Knicker Knacker Market and Grocery Store has built a business for anyone that may come walking through their doors, which is why they have become so prevalent among the people in its community. If you are located in the Montgomery area or perhaps, just passing through, make sure to stop in and see what makes Knicker Knacker so special. Knicker Knacker Market and Grocery is located at: 163 Lee St. Unit A, Montgomery, AL 36104.

Roeser's Bakery is much more than just your average, every day bakery. This bakery's owner, John Roeser, has made sure that his bakery caters to customers in a way that stands out among the rest. First, he draws them in with the glow of his 20-foot neon sign that shines down the street. The huge sign calls back to Roeser's opening, over 100-years ago, and shines just as brightly as a sign outside a Broadway theater.

Roeser’s Bakery was founded in 1911 and although the world has seen much change since that time, Roeser’s is still a refreshing reminder of the tried and true standards of baking and a great neighborhood business. Opened during WWI, the bakery has continued to serve the people of Chicago through our country’s highs and lows. That isn’t to say that Roeser’s Bakery has been untouched by events of the past.  When I asked about struggles his business had faced, John told me, “Sometimes it’s food costs- butter, sugar crop, eggs, etc... sometimes it’s maintenance costs- bread slicer breaks down, mixer breaks down, or one of the ovens breaks”.

John also mentioned a struggling economy can sometimes bring about struggles in his business as it does with most. John is an affirmative man, though, and remains hopeful and hardworking through it all. “The way to overcome them [hard times] is to just buckle down, don’t give up, find ways to be more efficient and do your best to keep steering the ship in the right direction, that’s all you can do.” With a family-owned business still in tact after over 100-years, it’s hard to argue that Roeser’s Bakery has proven this strategy to be a success.

Customer loyalty is not just built in your store. There is no doubt that having a good relationship with your customers is important, but showing you care for the community outside of your business is vital. Being active in the community where your business is located can make a world of a difference when it comes to the loyalty you receive from your customers. If you commit to the area around you the chances are good that people will want to commit to your business. 

While the standard convenience stores and gas stations make up the bulk of our goEBT merchants, we also serve a number of other types of stores who like to be able to accept EBT as a form of payment.  Plus, many of our convenience and grocery store merchants are finding that by adding other types of products, not just snacks and drinks, they can not only increase their foot traffic, but also increase their sales.  One of the stores that has proven this concept to be true is Dollars Plus and More in Akron, Ohio.  While the store does carry the standard "corner store essentials" like wall to wall packaged beverages and all the candy genres you could imagine, the family-owned business is taking affordable convenience a step farther to offer all of the standard household items at more than reasonable prices.

Our Merchant Spotlight for the month of January goes to Nabeel Ahmed! This proud goEBT merchant is the owner of S & M Grocery in Griffin, GA.

Our Merchant Spotlight for the month of December goes to Fedie Chani! This proud goEBT partner is the owner of Roosevelt Connect Mart. His establishment is located in the "Windy City" of Chicago, Illinois. 

Khurram Ghani opened his first store, Island Lake BP, in 2015. After seeing success with this store in a small community, Khurram saw an opportunity to expand and open a second store. His second store, Jefferson BP, was opened in Joliet, IL in 2017. In a town with close to 170,000 people, he saw a lot more room for growth and success. 

Our Merchant Spotlight for September goes to AJ Jabr, a multi store owner in Michigan. The family owned business has been successfully running Citgo Gas for 3 years and 2575 Dix Station Inc for 12 years.