A DAY IN THE LIFEReporting to the COO, this role owns the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of Mo' Bettahs' food safety and sanitation programs across every restaurant in the system. You will set the multi-year food safety vision as we scale from 80 restaurants to nearly 90 across eight states by year end, and you will build the team, systems, and health department relationships that allow us to grow without compromise. You will partner closely with Operations, Training, Supply Chain, and Construction to ensure every plate served, from kalua pig to white rice, meets the highest standards of safety, quality, and regulatory compliance. You will own HACCP plans, the third-party audit program, ServSafe certification, supplier food safety standards, and the company's response to foodborne illness allegations and recalls, serving as the executive voice of food safety to senior leadership. This position is based in Lehi, UT with significant multi-state travel (40-50%) to support restaurants across our operating footprint.
WHAT YOU'LL DO: - Own and continuously evolve the Mo' Bettahs food safety strategy and program, including HACCP plans, standard operating procedures, and brand-specific food safety standards across every restaurant in the system.
- Build, lead, and develop the food safety function, including third-party resources, as the restaurant count and geographic footprint grow.
- Maintain compliance with the FDA Food Code and all applicable state, county, and municipal regulations across our eight-state operating footprint.
- Develop and maintain temperature, time, allergen, and sanitation standards specific to Hawaiian-style menu items, including rice handling, slow-cooked proteins, steam-table holding, and raw protein cross-contamination controls.
- Conduct and oversee in-restaurant food safety audits across the portfolio on a defined cadence, surfacing wins and recognition opportunities alongside corrective action.
- Own the third-party audit program (EcoSure, Steritech, or equivalent), including scope, scoring, vendor relationship, and reporting; calibrate scoring and standards across District Managers and General Managers.
- Own the company's food safety crisis management playbook; serve as incident commander for foodborne illness allegations, supplier recalls, and health department actions, partnering with Legal, Communications, and executive leadership.
- Manage relationships with local and state health departments across all eight states; serve as primary point of contact for inspections, plan reviews, and variances.
- Own the ServSafe Manager certification program system-wide and maintain a current roster of certified managers in every restaurant.
- Build and deliver food safety training content for new hires, GMs, DMs, and Restaurant Support Center Team Members, including allergen awareness and Hawaiian-style menu-specific protocols.
- Partner with Construction, Real Estate, and Operations on permitting, plan review, and pre-opening health department inspections for New Restaurant Openings in existing and new states.
- Partner with Supply Chain to ensure approved suppliers meet Mo' Bettahs food safety standards, including third-party certifications (SQF, BRC, or equivalent); lead supplier food safety reviews and recall execution.
- Evaluate, implement, and own food safety technology, including digital line checks, remote temperature monitoring, and audit management platforms, to give Operations real-time visibility into food safety performance.
- Own the food safety department budget, including third-party audit, technology, training, and pest management vendor contracts.
- Build and report monthly food safety KPIs to the executive team, including audit scores, illness reports, health department findings, training compliance, and recall events; present enterprise food safety risk to executive leadership and the board.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED: - 10+ years of progressive food safety leadership experience in a multi-unit restaurant, foodservice, or food manufacturing environment; multi-state, high-growth experience strongly preferred.
- 3+ years building, leading, and developing direct reports or field teams.
- ServSafe Manager Certification required; Certified Professional in Food Safety (CP-FS) or Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) strongly preferred.
- Expert knowledge of the FDA Food Code, HACCP principles, and state-level regulatory variation.
- Demonstrated experience leading crisis response for foodborne illness events, supplier recalls, or regulatory actions.
- Demonstrated experience managing food safety across geographically distributed operations.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to coach in-restaurant and present to executive leadership and the board.
- Ability to travel 40-50%, including overnight and multi-day trips across our multi-state footprint.
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Public Health, Microbiology, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
PREFERRED: - Experience building or scaling a food safety function in a high-growth, multi-state restaurant environment.
- Experience with digital food safety platforms (digital line checks, remote temperature monitoring, audit and incident management systems).
- Experience in audit score performance and trend analysis by store, district, and region.
- Experience managing foodborne illness reports and time-to-resolution.
- Experience with supplier quality programs and certifications (SQF, BRC, PCQI).
- Prior experience opening restaurants in new states and navigating local regulatory environments.
- Bilingual English/Spanish.
WORKING CONDITIONS: The position requires qualified individuals to see, hear and speak (verbally and audibly). Required to ascend and descend stairs; sit and stand for extended periods; lift 30 pounds; bend, stoop, and kneel. Required to enter walk-in coolers and freezers during in-restaurant visits. You may be required to work outside in various weather conditions. You may be required to work on a computer for extended periods, including viewing the screen, using a mouse, manipulating a keyboard with hands, and reaching with arms. You will be required to drive and travel by car, air, or other transportation for business purposes on a regular basis (40-50% travel). Must be able to function effectively in a fast-paced working environment.
