Abby’s Catering has been providing one-of-a-kind culinary and hospitality experience since opening in 1980. Our customers are high profile passengers visiting or residing in Houston. Celebrities, government officials, heads of states, secretaries, industry leaders, all traveling out of Houston aboard private, corporate, and commercial aircraft are part of Abby’s valued circle of customers.
Abby’s also provided exclusive gourmet delights for corporate offices, private and corporate events. We want to penetrate the event market further and extend our market share for event catering.
Our Catering Sales Manager spearheads the development, growth, and organization of this new division for Abby’s Catering.
Qualifications:
- Passion for gourmet food and providing the ultimate in customer service and delivering the highest quality out of the production kitchen.
- Understand the overall Houston event market, competitors’ strengths, and weaknesses, economic trends, supply, and demand, etc., and know-how to sell against them.
- Excellent connected within the Houston community, positioning Abby’s new event the division into the market.
- Experienced in selling, organizing, and executing high end private and corporate catering events.
- Creative mind, making sure Abby’s gourmet food products and service levels are setting us apart from the competition.
- Identify, qualify, and solicit new business to achieve revenue goals.
- Work with the leadership team to create and implement the best sales strategies and sales plans.
- Work collaboratively with on-property sources and off-property sales channels to promote sales growth
- Develop and penetrate new territories, markets for the event division.
- Costing out menus, events, and other activities promptly and in the most detailed manner with close liaison to Procurement Manager, Executive Chef, and Controller.
- Excellent knowledge of the local supply chains referring equipment, amenities, staffing, entertainment, decoration, etc.
- Ability to structure an event division in the most efficient way to keep costs low and profits high.
- Building the event catering internal processes with support documentation, process mapping, forms, checklists, and templates (from the sale to execution to returning equipment)
- Ensuring that all standards for food quality and service levels are consistently met or exceeded.
- Proficient knowledge of food safety programs and ensuring all served foods and beverages are safe always.
- Team the player with a positive attitude, creative, leading by example, articulate, and energetic with excellent mentoring and coaching skills.
- Ability to follow a very flexible work schedule and to work long hours.
- Ability to effectively schedule the workforce of exempt and hourly workers.
- Ability to motivate and train employees on all levels and to build the team.
- Excellent communications skills to the workforce, same level team partners and senior management.
- Detailed oriented with a key focus on quality assurance and food safety guidelines.
- Efficient and effective planner with the ability to apply techniques and applications to obtain immediate positive financial and quality results.
- Effective communicator and demonstrator of company mission statement and core values.
- This job description is not exhaustive of all job responsibilities. Other tasks may be added or removed by Management according to business requirements
Requirements:
- Must have a passion for sales and event catering and having a loyal character.
- Must possess strong culinary and beverages knowledge.
- Must have proven local market knowledge and experience in event catering.
- Must possess a Food Safety Manager and Responsible Alcohol Training Certification is valid and recognized by the local authorities.
- Must be experienced in creating and costing menus and/or events.
- Three 3+ years of hands-on experience in a local event catering sales position.
- Firm in management of event coordination and execution.
- Complete knowledge of HACCP and food safety programs and food industry standards.
- Strong knowledge of managing numbers, budgets, sales forecasts etc.
- Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
- Ability to cultivate a working relationship with customers.
- Computer proficient in Microsoft Office
- Strong written, verbal, and communication skills necessary.
- Availability to handle numerous tasks simultaneously and able to work well under pressure in a fast pace environment.
- Bilingual Spanish is a plus.
- Can easily adapt to change
Summary of responsibilities:
- Event Catering Sales:
- Develop a realistic sales and operational budget
- Acquire new customers for the event market
- Cultivate long-lasting and productive customer relationships
- Event Catering Organization:
- Develop the event catering division for the company
- Plan and organize catering events
- Execute and oversee catering events
- Financials for assigned areas:
- Meet the budget in all aspects
- Stay within communicated purchasing targets and source best prices for best products.
- Minimize and control overproduction / overprovisioning, breakage, and wastage.
- Maintain working equipment in best conditions, keep operational variables at a minimum level
- Management of the assigned area:
- Create and maintain winning teams, keep fluctuation/turnover at a minimum.
- Lead by example, teaching/applying the company’s core values and vision.
- Excelling in teamwork when interacting with other departments and/or Senior Management.
Requirements:
- Culinary/Hospitality degree/diploma
- Three (3) years’ experience in local Event Catering required, especially in sales and marketing
- Proven success in event catering sales for the local market
- Best knowledge of local event catering market and supply chain
- Proficient experience in event catering management
- Must be flexible and able to perform assigned tasks independently or as part of a work team to achieve company goals.
Company Core values:
Abby’s Catering strongly promotes and cultivates its company’s core values. It is necessary for all employees to internalize the company’s core values. The company hires, promotes, and terminated based on core values. It is expected that these company core values are practiced day in day out by each employee. By living these company core values we are creating a very strong company culture with extremely creative and productive teams, that will increase the company’s’ efficiency, promote growth, and consequently guarantee our employment. (the easiest way to remember the seven company core values) CATCH
- Customer Driven
- Accountability
- Teamwork
- Competitiveness
- Honesty
Benefits
- One-week paid vacation after one year
- Employee Referral Bonus
- Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits
- Free employee meals
- Rewarding and fast paced workplace environment
- Personal gratification to work in such a niche business
- Yearly reviews, raises and year-end bonus potential all based on merit and job performance
Our Mission
“To continue to be the leading in-flight and corporate catering company serving the Houston Metro market by using locally sourced and sustainable raw ingredients, providing the MOST memorable and personalized attention to detail all while maintaining a fiscally sound budget.”
Job Type:
- Full-time
Salary
- Depending on the experience
Job Location:
- Houston, TX 77032
Required Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing
