Director of Foodservice
Location: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut
Reports to: Head of Chestnut Market
Travel: Chestnut Market Stores, Commissary and Chestnut Headquarters (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Position Summary
The Director of Foodservice (Food & Beverage / Multi-Unit Operations) leads strategy and operations with full P&L accountability for the Chestnut Market foodservice program across a growing multi-unit convenience retail (c-store) network. Owns end-to-end foodservice program development and execution from concept to cash: category management, menu development, recipe curation, culinary operations, equipment standards, vendor management, food safety, and profitability.
This hands-on, field-oriented leader partners with Operations, Merchandising, Loyalty/Media, Marketing, Construction, and Finance to drive sales growth, margin improvement, and consistent execution by store tier. Supports new store openings and remodels through training, coaching, standards, and cross-functional leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Foodservice Strategy & Program Development
- Set foodservice vision, strategy, and multi-year road-map,drive category growth across store formats.
- Build scalable programs by store tier (assortment, equipment, layout, menu complexity) based on space and labor model.
- Lead menu development: core menu, LTOs, and regional customization.
- Define and launch QSR and commissary strategy within 6 months.
- Deliver low-to-moderate capex "quick win" initiatives withinfirst6 months (sales, margin, speed of service, labor efficiency).
- Define, build, and launch Chestnut Market's differentiated foodservice brand/offer within 12 months.
Operations & Execution
- Own foodservice category execution and performance across company-owned stores.
- Create SOPs/playbooks for food quality, food safety, temp control, portioning, inventory, production routines, and execution consistency.
- Implement repeatable operating systems for a multi-unit convenience/QSR kitchen environment.
- Partner with Operations leaders to drive store-level execution, training, and compliance.
- Support new store openings, remodels, and conversions (kitchen design, equipment, training, launch).
Equipment, Facilities & Store Design
- Set equipment standards/specs by store tier.
- Partner with Construction/Facilities on equipment selection, testing, and capex planning.
- Lead pilots/tests to validate menus, equipment, and workflows.
Vendor & Product Management
- Own vendor/supplier management for foodservice.
- Lead sourcing, SKU rationalization, and product differentiation.
- Negotiate pricing, contracts, and service levels to improve margin, quality, and execution.
Food Safety, Quality & Compliance
- Ensure food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
- Build audit program, QA controls, and corrective action plans.
- Drive food safety training and certification with Operations.
Financial Performance & Reporting
- Own foodservice P&L: sales, gross margin, labor, waste, and profitability.
- Set pricing strategy/models to meet competitive, margin, and brand goals.
- Build KPIs and dashboards by store/region; track trends and root causes.
- Use data to prioritize capex and continuous improvement (sales, waste, labor efficiency, margin).
Food Service Marketing
- Own foodservice marketing strategy and annual plan (with support from Foodservice Marketing Coordinator).
- Represent the brand through social media support and industry relationships.
- Partner with Loyalty and Media teams on offers, messaging, and campaigns to increase traffic.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Merchandising, Loyalty/Media, and Marketing to integrate foodservice into growth initiatives.
- Partner with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and ROI analysis.
- Partner with senior leadership on strategic planning, performance reviews, and foodservice priorities.
Required Qualifications
- Servant leadership / people-first leadership.
- Bachelor's degree (Hospitality, Business, Culinary, or related).
- 5+years of foodservice leadership in multi-unit retail, convenience, or QSR.
- Foodservice program launch and scale experience across multiple locations (menu, operations, training, standards).
- Kitchen operations, equipment, food safety, and labor models.
- Vendor/supplier negotiation and relationship management.
- Category management, pricing, P&L and margin management.
- Comfortable in fast-paced, cross-functional, accountable environments.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
- Serv Safe certification (required or obtained upon hire).
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); comfort with AI tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Convenience store, grocery, or food-forward retail experience.
- New store openings and remodel support experience.
- Test-and-learn / pilot rollout experience.
- Influence without authority in a matrix organization.
Compensation & Benefits
- Company vehicle and fuel
- Comprehensive health coverage
- 401(k) with company match
- Generous paid time off (PTO)
- Performance-based bonus or incentive eligibility
- Professional development and growth opportunities
- Flexible work arrangements, as role responsibilities allow
