Blue Shock Executive Search, established in 2003, is a renowned executive search firm excelling in recruiting top-tier candidates across restaurant, hospitality, and food service-related sectors. As industry leaders, we specialize in forging connections between exceptional talent and leading employers in Canada and the US.
www.blueshock.ca
 
 
Client Summary:
We're proud to partner with our client, a trusted brand with deep roots in Ontario and Quebec, as they embark on a bold transformation to redefine the company store experience.  We are launching a game-changing food service initiative to elevate in-store offerings, drive traffic, and unlock new revenue streams. This is your opportunity to lead that charge.
 
Position Summary:
In Canada we have an opportunity to capture significantly more traffic and sales by offering quality food products to their customers. Recognizing this opportunity, The Group is launching a transformative initiative to introduce an innovative food service program across its locations in Ontario and Quebec. We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Director, Food Services, to lead this effort. This senior role will drive innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centric product development, while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
 
Your background may include but not be limited to:
 

• Supply Chain Management
• Restaurant and Food Service Organizations
• The Food Production Cog
• Grocery retail and production
• The Quick Service Concept Development
• Retail Food Service

• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify trends, customer preferences, and whitespace opportunities.
• Develop a strong understanding of Quickie's core competencies, in-store capabilities, and the industry's supply chain to ensure strategic alignment.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to define strategic goals, KPIs, and success metrics.
• Benchmark against world-class convenience retailers to identify replicable programs and innovations.
• Develop and execute a phased rollout plan for food service programs.
• An analytical expert with supply chains, logistics as well as the retail side of the business.
• A strong partner to the various departments within the company including marketing, HR and operations among others. Internal team relationships.

• Design prototype food service concepts tailored to convenience retail, evaluating all possible concepts to arrive and the best fit for our operations and customers.
• Program development will include the refinement or potential re-launch of the company. existing beverage program, which includes coffee and frozen dispensed beverages.
• Develop a limited scale testing program to evaluate proof of concept, altering as needed, prior to full launch.
• Source and negotiate with suppliers, vendors, and equipment providers.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and food handling regulations.

• Working alongside the store operations team, this role will be responsible for the ongoing operational and financial success of the company's food service program.
• Partner with store operations teams to implement food service programs, including store layout, equipment installation, staffing, food safety, and quality control.
• Develop and continuously deliver SOPs, training materials, and operational guidelines.
• Monitor performance, refining the program on an ongoing basis.

• Work with Marketing to promote food service offerings and drive customer engagement.
• Collaborate with Finance to manage budgets, pricing strategies, and profitability analysis.
• Coordinate with HR and Operations to support recruitment, onboarding, and training of food service staff.

• Analyze sales data, customer feedback, and operational metrics to refine offerings.
• Pilot new products and formats based on performance and customer demand.
• Share best practices and success stories across regions to foster innovation and consistency.

• Visionary Thinking: Ability to translate strategy into actionable plans that drive growth and innovation.
• Customer-Centric Mindset: Passion for exceeding customer expectations through product and service excellence.
• Collaborative Leadership: Skilled at building cross-functional partnerships and fostering a culture of teamwork.
• Operational Discipline: Strong focus on execution, process optimization, and delivering results.
• Change Management: Comfortable leading transformation initiatives and navigating ambiguity.
• Mentorship & Development: Committed to coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• Resilience & Agility: Able to adapt quickly to market shifts and evolving business needs.
• Understanding the role as a hands-on, roll up your sleeves and get it done mindset.
• Lead from the front without an ego and with humility.
• As a senior leader in the company, you have to excel at building relationships with the guest, your team and the suppliers and vendors.
• A driven self-starter with a creative flare and someone who excels with autonomy.

• Program Rollout Milestones: % of stores successfully implementing food service programs within the planned timeline.
• Sales Growth: Increase in food service revenue per store and overall contribution to total sales.
• Food service's gross profit contribution as a percentage of total store's gross profit.
• Customer/guest Satisfaction: Improvement in customer satisfaction scores related to food offerings.
• Operational Efficiency: Reduction in food waste, labor costs, and equipment downtime.
• Product Innovation: Number of new products launched and their performance metrics.
• Training Completion Rates: % of store teams trained and certified in food service operations.
• Compliance: Adherence to health and safety standards across all locations.