New Leadership Structure
TXB, the Spicewood, Texas-based restaurant-style convenience chain operating more than 50 locations across Texas and Oklahoma, has named Nate Brazier as President. Brazier steps into the newly structured role to run daily operations while founder Kevin Smartt retains the Owner and CEO title, pivoting his attention to growth strategy, capital allocation, acquisitions, and long-term direction.
Brazier arrives with more than a decade of convenience retail experience, most recently as President and CEO of Stinker Stores, the Idaho-based chain that earned CStore Decisions' 2025 Chain of the Year honor during his tenure. At Stinker, he expanded the store footprint, reinforced back-of-house operations, and built out a regional leadership bench — exactly the operational muscle TXB is looking to transplant into its Texas-Oklahoma footprint.
Foodservice as the Differentiator
TXB's pitch to the channel has always centered on foodservice. The chain positions itself explicitly as a "family of restaurant-style convenience stores" serving fresh, made-to-order food alongside a line of private-label products — a positioning that puts it in direct competition with fast-casual concepts on the forecourt rather than just nearby c-store rivals. Brazier's stated priorities — investing in people, continuing to differentiate through fresh food, and deepening the cultural foundation — align squarely with where the broader channel is heading as operators push foodservice attach rates and build loyalty around the in-store experience.
"TXB has a great foundation," Brazier said. "My goal is to build on that foundation by investing in our people, continuing to differentiate TXB through fresh food and strengthening the culture that makes this company special."
Smartt framed the hire as a deliberate organizational build-out. "We're building the organization and leadership team capable of operating a best-in-class convenience retail experience for our guests," he said, also noting that the chain has raised nearly $1.5 million for CASA through its local-giving program — a community-engagement layer that increasingly factors into brand loyalty for regional operators.
Pipeline and Next Steps
With roughly 200,000 square feet of combined property across its current store base, TXB has five additional locations in the development pipeline. The scope of that expansion — and Smartt's explicit mention of acquisitions as part of his CEO focus — signals that the chain is positioning for a more aggressive growth phase, whether organic or through mergers and acquisitions. Bringing in a seasoned c-store operator to manage existing-store execution frees Smartt to pursue deals without taking his eye off day-to-day performance.
For regional operators watching the Texas and Oklahoma markets, TXB's leadership investment is a signal worth noting. The chain's foodservice-forward model — fresh prep, private label, community identity — is the same playbook larger chains like Wawa and Sheetz have used to defend inside-sales margin in fuel-price-volatile environments. Whether a 50-unit regional operator can execute that model at scale is the question Brazier's hire is designed to answer.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
