Director of Food Service
2 days ago
Poughkeepsie
Job Description 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) Company Overview Chestnut Group is a trusted convenience retail brand, preferred fuels marketer, and exceptional place to work in the tri-state area. The family-held Company owns and operates gas stations and convenience stores under the Chestnut Market brand and is a preferred supplier for premium fuel flags including Shell, Exxon Mobil, and BP, among others. The Company continues to grow its retail footprint and is focused on creating and delivering exceptional people-first convenience with care – every experience, every time. Come join our growing and passionate retail operations team! 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)., • 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., • Set equipment standards/specs by store tier., • Partner with Construction/Facilities on equipment selection, testing, and capex planning., • Own vendor/supplier management for foodservice., • Lead sourcing, SKU rationalization, and product differentiation., • Ensure food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance., • Build audit program, QA controls, and corrective action plans., • 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., • 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 Merchandising, Loyalty/Media, and Marketing to integrate foodservice into growth initiatives., • Partner with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and ROI analysis., • 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)., • Convenience store, grocery, or food-forward retail experience., • New store openings and remodel support experience., • Test-and-learn / pilot rollout experience., • 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