Director of Food Service

Location:

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut

Reports to:

Head of Chestnut Market
Travel:
Chestnut Market Stores, Commissary and Chestnut Headquarters (Poughkeepsie, NY)

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!

The Director of Food service (Food & Beverage / Multi‑Unit Operations) leads strategy and operations with full P&L accountability for the Chestnut Market food service program across a growing multi‑unit convenience retail (c‑store) network. Owns end‑to‑end food service 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.

• Set food service 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 within first 6 months (sales, margin, speed of service, labor efficiency).
• Define, build, and launch Chestnut Market’s differentiated food service brand/offer within 12 months.

• Own food service 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).

• 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.
• Own vendor/supplier management for food service.
• Lead sourcing, SKU rationalization, and product differentiation.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and service levels to improve margin, quality, and execution.

• Ensure food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
• Build audit program, QA controls, and corrective action plans.
• Drive food safety training and certification with Operations.

• Own food service 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).

• Own food service marketing strategy and annual plan (with support from Food service 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.

• Partner with Merchandising, Loyalty/Media, and Marketing to integrate food service into growth initiatives.
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and…