Director of Food Service

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).
• 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