Senior Category Manager- F&B

Role

Summary:

The Senior Category Manager, Food & Beverage (F&B) is responsible for driving growth and performance of the Food & Beverage category (or assigned sub-categories) across the company’s retail footprint. This role serves as the category owner, accountable for identifying, developing, and executing initiatives that drive both short-term results and long-term retail strategy.

The Senior Category Manager will lead innovation and program development, including future F&B offerings such as made-to-order concepts, and will partner closely with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Culinary, Bakery/Commissary, and Retail Operations to ensure cohesive execution. The ideal candidate brings a strategic, hands‑on approach to category management, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of retail food and beverage operations.

• Partner with Marketing, Culinary, Bakery/Commissary, Ordering, and Retail Operations teams to develop, execute, and evaluate category-specific initiatives across the retail footprint.
• Collaborate closely with the Culinary Innovation Chef to advance new product concepts through testing, commercialization, and full implementation.
• Lead the introduction and roll‑out of new Food innovation including Made to Order Beverage and Food.
• Contribute, as part of the leadership team, to the short‑and long‑term category strategy for the Retail organization.
• Own and manage the annual P&L for assigned categories, including cost, pricing, margin, and profitability targets.
• Actively monitor revenue, costs, and waste (where applicable), adjusting programs to maximize quality, sales, and transaction growth.
• Partner with Marketing, Loyalty, and Guest Insights teams to analyze sales performance, transaction trends, store tests, promotions, and campaigns; translate insights into actionable growth initiatives.
• Work closely with Store Operations to ensure successful execution of category programs; solicit and incorporate operational feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Partner with the Bakery and Commissary teams on product development (bakery and fresh offerings) and commissary‑related logistics.
• Track and evaluate food trends
  , consumer preferences, and innovation opportunities to strengthen category performance.
• Prepare and deliver internal and external presentations and updates on campaign performance, store tests, promotions, and category results.
• Lead and direct field activities of direct reports, including rollout of new initiatives, troubleshooting underperforming programs, train‑the‑trainer execution, and coaching and development.
• Provide timely, candid, and constructive performance feedback
  ; actively develop team members to their fullest potential.
• Build and maintain a strong talent pipeline
  , ensuring bench strength, succession planning, and recognition of high performance.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Business Management or related field preferred.
• 5-8+ years of experience and comprehensive knowledge of Food & Beverage Category Management in a retail environment / QSR strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in managing direct reports and indirect reports across multiple territories.
• Previous price book, ordering/replenishment, and retail analytics experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of financial and retail performance metrics
  , including P&L ownership.
• Extensive experience with category management programs
  , including private label, proprietary, and external vendor offerings.
• Proven project management skills
  , with the ability to balance multiple initiatives at various stages of execution.
• Discerning palate and strong understanding of food and beverage quality, innovation, and consumer expectations.
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Power Point, MS BI.
• Prior experience with CRM based systems, loyalty platforms and other marketing or other customer-based technologies is a plus.