Director of Food Service Operations

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Full Time City of Industry, CA, US

Salary Range: $90,000.00 To $ Annually

Reports To VP of Commercial Innovation

Direct Reports None - cross-functional role; partners closely with Sales, Operations, Marketing, and Store Leadership

Location Based in Southern California (SoCal)

Travel Regular travel throughout the SoCal region required; occasional travel outside SoCal (less than 25%)

Employment Type

Full-Time

Position Summary

Every table is building a decentralized network of franchisee-operated store locations that serve consumers directly (walk-in, meal plan subscribers, and delivery marketplace), corporate catering, and institutional food service (K-12, senior nutrition, and food-insecure communities). We're hiring a Director of Food Service Operations to launch and manage new business across this broad spectrum of opportunities. This role owns full P&L responsibility for a portfolio of food service accounts, partnering closely with corporate store leadership, franchisees, and the sales team to launch new accounts and recommend reconfigurations of existing store locations, and working cross-functionally across the organization to keep existing operations running safely, efficiently, and profitably.

The role builds lean, practical operational plans grounded in food safety best practices across our consumer, catering, and institutional channels.

• Own and manage full profit & loss (P&L) for assigned food service accounts, driving revenue growth, cost discipline, and margin improvement.
• Create and manage operating budgets for assigned accounts, aligning spend with overall P&L targets.
• Develop equipment budgets covering heating, cold storage, and hot- and cold-food transportation equipment to support new and existing accounts.
• Lead the launch of new food service accounts, from initial handoff through full operational readiness.
• Partner with the sales team to understand newly won accounts and translate deal terms and account requirements into concrete, actionable operational plans.
• Partner directly with clients to understand their customer expectations and service requirements, ensuring operational plans align with their standards.
• Assess existing store locations and recommend reconfigurations - layout, equipment, or workflow changes - to improve operational efficiency, food safety, and profitability, partnering with corporate store leadership and franchisees to implement approved changes.
• Conduct store and client site walkthroughs to assess readiness for new accounts, confirm compliance, and identify opportunities for store reconfiguration or operational improvement.
• Partner with operations teams to train store-level staff and support successful account launches and store reconfigurations.
• Design and implement lean operational plans that eliminate waste and inefficiency while keeping food safety as the top priority.
• Serve as the organization's subject matter expert on safe food handling guidelines, ensuring every account and store location remains compliant with food safety regulations and standards.
• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Marketing, and Finance to align resources, priorities, and timelines in support of account launch and store reconfiguration goals.
• Conduct regular on-site visits across the Southern California region to support accounts, audit operations, and reinforce standards; travel occasionally outside SoCal as needed (less than 25% of the time).
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with franchisees and store leadership to resolve operational issues quickly and proactively.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 5-7 years of progressive food service, restaurant, or multi-unit operations experience, including direct P&L ownership.
• Demonstrated experience supporting new account launches and recommending store-level operational improvements in partnership with corporate leadership and/or franchisees.
• Serv Safe Manager certification required; strong working knowledge of safe food handling guidelines and food safety regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and align cross-functional teams (Sales, Operations, Marketing, Finance) without direct authority.
• Excellent verbal and written…