Executive Spotlight: Greg Hamer Sr., Founder & CEO of B&G Food Enterprises (2027)
Greg Hamer Sr. is the founder and CEO of B&G Food Enterprises, a Taco Bell franchisee headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana. The company's own site says it began in 1982 with a Taco Bell franchise for a Morgan City restaurant and now operates 231 restaurants in five states with more than 5,000 employees (B&G Food Enterprises). It describes itself as the largest Taco Bell franchisee in Louisiana.
Before running restaurants full time, Hamer worked for more than two decades in oilfield services and served in local elected office (Leaders for a Better Louisiana). This page covers public professional information only, drawn from the company site, local and trade press, and organization profiles.
Current role and company
Leaders for a Better Louisiana calls him CEO of B&G Food Enterprises, LLC (LABL). A February 2024 local news item on a new Houston restaurant described the company as led by CEO and founder Greg Hamer (What Now Houston). The 2016 St. Mary Now report also quotes him as CEO (St. Mary Now). Titles may have changed since those dates.
- CompanyB&G Food Enterprises, LLC, headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana (company site).
- TitleCEO (Leaders for a Better Louisiana; St. Mary Now, 2016); founder and CEO (What Now Houston, Feb 2024).
- BrandTaco Bell franchisee (company site).
- Footprint231 restaurants in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida (company site, undated page read November 2026).
- WorkforceMore than 5,000 employees (company site).
Career path
- Before 1982. Leaders for a Better Louisiana says Hamer worked more than twenty-five years in the oilfield service industry after graduating from LSU. Hamer described the move out of oilfield services in 1982 as "quite a ride" in a 2016 local news report.
- 1982. The company says it was founded after receiving a Taco Bell franchise to operate a restaurant in Morgan City, Louisiana. The support center and administrative offices are in Morgan City (St. Mary Now, 2016).
- Public service. Leaders for a Better Louisiana lists twelve years in elected office at the city and parish levels, service on a public hospital board and several state boards including as a Trustee of the University of Louisiana System.
- 2017. Hamer chaired the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation board, and is an Emeritus Director of the National Restaurant Association (Leaders for a Better Louisiana).
- Today. Leaders for a Better Louisiana lists him as chairman of LSU's Tiger Athletic Foundation and a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the E.J. Ourso College of Business.
What Hamer is known for
- Building a regional Taco Bell operator. B&G reached 104 Taco Bell restaurants after buying nine Lafayette-area units from Taco Bell Corporate in August 2016 (St. Mary Now). In February 2018 it was reported to be acquiring 25 more corporate-owned Taco Bells in Louisiana and Mississippi (Business Report).
- Acquisitions in 2023. Franchise Times (July 2023) reported that B&G bought 28 Taco Bell restaurants in Louisiana from Southeast Restaurant Group, in an area north of New Orleans where it already operated (Franchise Times).
- Exclusive territories. The 2018 report said B&G was the exclusive Taco Bell franchisee in Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette and Lake Charles, and that with the deal it and its affiliates would run all Taco Bells south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, from Louisiana to Alabama.
- Industry roles. Leaders for a Better Louisiana says the Louisiana Restaurant Association honored Hamer as President in 2000 and as a member of its Hall of Fame, and that he was the 2017 chairman of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
Leadership style and philosophy
Hamer has said little at length in the pages read for this profile, so this section stays close to what he is quoted as saying. After the 2016 Lafayette purchase he said reaching 100 or more restaurants had become a goal and credited the brand, saying "the good Lord led us to a fantastic brand" and thanking the team members who run the restaurants (St. Mary Now). In the 2023 Franchise Times story he said the 28-store purchase "fit in for our plan" and would allow more development in the area over time, and that projects that once took 90 days now take seven to eight months (Franchise Times). This page does not claim a wider management philosophy than these remarks.
Key numbers
Company-reported or press-reported figures, each with its period. Counts differ by source and date, and the company site's state breakdown adds to 227 against a headline of 231.
- 2016 (Sept)104 Taco Bell restaurants, 58 in Louisiana, after nine Lafayette-area purchases (St. Mary Now); ranked the 92nd largest U.S. restaurant franchisee with more than 2,400 employees (The Ind, Oct 2016).
- 2018 (Feb)More than 70 restaurants in Louisiana and 135 Taco Bells in all; 25 more corporate stores being acquired; seven units in development; almost 3,000 associates (Business Report).
- 2023 (July)Nearly 200 units; 28 Louisiana Taco Bells purchased; eight openings planned for 2023 but delays expected (Franchise Times).
- 2024 (Feb)A new Houston Taco Bell of 2,089 square feet, estimated at $1.2 million, with construction planned from May 2024 and completion targeted for October 2024 (What Now Houston).
- Company site, 2026 read231 restaurants, more than 5,000 employees, five states: 113 in Louisiana, 69 in Texas, 18 in Florida, 17 in Mississippi, 10 in Alabama (company-reported).
Questions people ask
Who is Greg Hamer Sr.?
He is the founder and CEO of B&G Food Enterprises, a Taco Bell franchisee based in Morgan City, Louisiana. The company says it started in 1982.
How many restaurants does B&G Food Enterprises operate?
The company site lists 231 restaurants in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. In 2016 it had 104; in 2023 Franchise Times said nearly 200.
What brand does B&G operate?
B&G is a Taco Bell franchisee. The 2023 Franchise Times report also noted that the group operates KFC and Long John Silver's stores in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
What did Hamer do before Taco Bell?
Leaders for a Better Louisiana says he worked more than twenty-five years in the oilfield service industry, and he also served twelve years in elected office.
Is B&G Food Enterprises the same as B&G Foods?
No. B&G Food Enterprises is a restaurant franchisee in Louisiana. B&G Foods is a separate packaged food company and is not covered here.
What industry roles has Hamer held?
Leaders for a Better Louisiana lists him as 2017 chairman of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, an Emeritus Director of the National Restaurant Association and a past Louisiana Restaurant Association president.
Sources
- B&G Food Enterprises: home page · Restaurant count, states, employees, brand
- Leaders for a Better Louisiana: Greg Hamer · CEO title, oilfield career, public service, industry and LSU roles
- St. Mary Now: B&G acquires Lafayette-area Taco Bells (Sept 29, 2016) · 2016 acquisition, unit counts, quotes
- The Ind: Around Town (Oct 4, 2016) · 2016 ranking and employee count
- Business Report: Morgan City company buys 25 Taco Bell locations (Feb 6, 2018) · 2018 acquisition, territories, unit counts
- Franchise Times: B&G buys 28 Taco Bells from Louisiana franchisee (July 27, 2023) · 2023 acquisition, unit count, quotes
- What Now Houston: B&G Foods to build new Taco Bell (Feb 16, 2024) · CEO and founder title, Houston project
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 2, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is a solo portrait of Greg Hamer Sr. credited to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, whose image text names him; it is centered on a blurred card because the original is small. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation