Sales Representative - Food Service Distribution

About Us:

We're one of the largest food service distributors in the region, serving restaurants, healthcare facilities, schools, hotels, and independent operators across a broad territory. Our sales representatives are the primary relationship between our company and our customers - advising on menu, product selection, and cost management, not just taking orders. We invest in training, product expertise, and the tools our team needs to run their territory like a business.

The Sales Representative is responsible for managing and growing an assigned territory of food service accounts. This is an outside sales role built on consultative selling: understanding each operator's business, recommending products and solutions that improve their margins, and serving as their primary point of contact with the company.

• Manage an assigned book of business, driving profitable growth in case volume, gross profit, and account penetration.
• Prospect and develop new accounts within the territory through cold calling, referrals, and in-person visits.
• Conduct regular on-site customer visits to review inventory, present new and seasonal products, and identify opportunities to expand product categories within existing accounts.
• Advise operators on menu development, product substitutions, food cost, and inventory management.
• Partner with category specialists, culinary staff, and merchandising teams to deliver product demonstrations, samples, and category solutions.
• Manage pricing within approved margin guidelines and prepare customer proposals.
• Monitor account health, including credit standing, order patterns, and service issues; coordinate with credit, operations, and delivery teams to resolve them.
• Maintain accurate account, contact, and opportunity records in the CRM and use reporting tools to plan territory activity.
• Stay current on product lines, supplier programs, market conditions, and competitor activity.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent relevant experience.
• Previous experience in outside sales, account management, or food service operations. Broadline distribution, restaurant, or culinary experience is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build long-term customer relationships and manage a territory independently.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and business acumen; comfort discussing food cost, margin, and inventory with operators.
• Proficiency with CRM and sales reporting tools.
• Valid driver's license, satisfactory driving record, and reliable transportation. This role requires daily travel within the assigned territory.
• Ability to lift and carry product samples and cases as needed for demonstrations.
• Early-morning availability to align with customer receiving and operating hours.