Why Join Jakes!
- Build the catering program, don't inherit one — you'll have real ownership over strategy, sales, and execution rather than maintaining someone else's playbook
- Growing company: 16 restaurants across two concepts, with two new locations opening just this year
- Two distinct concepts means two distinct catering offerings — more menu range and a broader client base than a single-concept operator can offer
- Direct access to leadership — small enough that your ideas get heard and implemented, not filtered through five layers
- Established restaurant infrastructure behind you: existing kitchens, vendor relationships, and brand recognition in the market
- Genuine growth trajectory — as the company expands, so does the scope of this role
- A culture built around hospitality, not just volume
What We Offer
- Competitive base salary of $80,000/year plus commission
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Paid Time Off
- Dining discounts across both concepts
- Professional development
- Clear path for advancement as the company grows
GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Catering Director is responsible for developing, leading, and growing the catering business across MAD Concepts Group, including Jake's and Tacos & Avocados. This role is a sales-driven leadership position focused on generating outside catering revenue through proactive business development, operational standards, assisting with marketing strategy, relationship building, and exceptional client service.
The Catering Director serves as the company-wide leader for all catering-related activity, creating the strategy, systems, sales pipeline, and operational standards necessary to make catering a significant and profitable revenue channel. This leader works closely with restaurant leadership, culinary teams, marketing, and executive leadership to ensure that every catering opportunity is sold effectively, executed consistently to standards, and strengthens the MAD Concepts Group brands.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The duties and responsibilities of a MAD Concepts Group Catering Director include, but not limited to:
1.) Champion MAD Concepts Group values and culture in every client interaction and catering event, ensuring the catering business reflects the company's commitment to great food, great service, and a positive guest experience.
2.) Establish clear communication standards between the Catering Director, clients, restaurant teams, delivery partners, and leadership to prevent missing details and ensure successful event execution. Effective communication with operations and leadership teams is of the utmost importance to this role, as it will ensure operational excellence standards.
3.) Establish measurable catering sales goals, budgets, activity targets, and key performance indicators, and regularly report results, trends, and opportunities to executive leadership.
4.) Maintain compliance with all company policies and applicable federal, state, and local regulations related to food safety, alcohol service, employment, transportation, and catering operations.
5.) Develop systems and processes that allow the catering business to scale efficiently as MAD Concepts Group adds locations, brands, products, or new markets, including delivery driver services.
6.) Train and support restaurant-level team members who assist with catering, ensuring they understand catering standards, guest expectations, packaging, communication, and order execution.
7.) Represent MAD Concepts Group professionally in the community and serve as a brand ambassador for Jake's and Tacos & Avocados, including opportunities to cross-sell and leverage both brands.
8.) Build relationships with event planners, office managers, executive assistants, property managers, school administrators, athletic organizations, community leaders, and other high-value referral sources.
9.) Conduct regular customer follow-up and post-event reviews to resolve issues, obtain feedback, strengthen relationships, and increase repeat and referral business.
10.) Analyze catering sales, average order value, lead sources, conversion rates, repeat business, customer retention, event volume, and profitability to identify trends and improve performance.
11.) Monitor catering food costs, labor, delivery expenses, discounts, and other controllable costs to protect margins and improve profitability.
12.) Work with culinary and restaurant leadership on catering menu development, seasonal offerings, pricing, portioning, packaging, and products that support customer demand and financial goals.
13.) Partner with General Managers, kitchen leaders, and restaurant teams to establish and maintain consistent standards for food quality, presentation, packaging, service, delivery, setup, cleanliness, and guest experience.
14.) Oversee catering operations from booking through event execution, ensuring orders are accurately communicated, scheduled, prepared, packaged, delivered or staged, and completed to company standards.
15.) Assist marketing with Develop and maintenance of professional catering menus, packages, proposals, pricing tools, promotional programs, and sales materials that clearly communicate the value of each MAD Concepts Group brand.
16.) Identify and pursue strategic sales and marketing opportunities, including networking events, trade shows, chamber events, school and community events, sponsorships, and other activities that generate catering leads.
17.) Develop and execute catering marketing plans in partnership with MAD Concepts Group leadership and marketing resources, including digital marketing, email campaigns, social media, promotional offers, printed materials, community outreach, and local partnerships.
18.) Manage key catering accounts and the sales process from initial inquiry through proposal, booking, fulfillment, post-event follow-up, and rebooking.
19.) Build and manage a strong pipeline of corporate, school, healthcare, sports, nonprofit, event, wedding, apartment, construction, and community accounts, with an emphasis on recurring and referral business.
20.) Drive outside sales through proactive prospecting, cold outreach, networking, referrals, community involvement, business visits, tastings, presentations, and relationship development, as well as utilizing company AI software and tools for sales driving purposes.
21.) Develop and execute a company-wide catering sales strategy designed to grow revenue, market share, repeat business, and profitability across Jake's and Tacos & Avocados.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
Must have demonstrated experience in catering sales, restaurant sales, hospitality, business development, event sales, or a related field. Ten or more years of relevant sales or hospitality experience is preferred, with demonstrated success in outside sales, account development, and revenue growth. High-volume restaurant, catering, or multi-unit restaurant experience is strongly preferred. Experience managing a catering program across multiple locations or brands is an asset.
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Must be able to clearly and professionally communicate with guests, clients, vendors, restaurant teams, and executive leadership in English. Spanish language skills are an asset.
REASONING ABILITY
Must be able to analyze sales and operational data, identify trends and opportunities, prioritize competing demands, solve client and operational issues, and make sound business decisions. Must demonstrate strong communication skills, sales judgment, organization, follow-through, negotiation skills, and the ability to independently manage a high-volume pipeline while coordinating multiple events and locations.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Must complete all required MAD Concepts Group leadership and catering training. Must maintain all certifications required by state and local regulations applicable to the position, including food safety and TABC requirements when applicable. Must complete any additional training mandated by the company or regulatory agencies. Must hold a Manager Food Handlers Certification to participate in operations and events management.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. While performing the duties of this role, the Catering Director is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or carry objects, product, or controls, and talk or hear. The role frequently requires reaching, lifting, holding, and moving with hands and arms and requires sitting for administrative work. The Catering Director must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed in a combination of restaurant environments, client locations, catering/event venues, community settings, and administrative settings. Travel between MAD Concepts Group locations and to client or community meetings and events is a regular and essential part of this role. The Catering Director may be exposed to normal restaurant and event conditions, including heat, noise, humidity, kitchen activity, outdoor events, and variable event schedules. This position may require early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on business needs and event schedules.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR RECEIPT OF JOB DESCRIPTION
I acknowledge that my job duties require I hire, train, and/or work with team members in accordance with MAD Concepts Group standards and that my job duties require that I represent the company professionally, develop business, interact with guests and clients, and motivate team members to provide great service. I expressly acknowledge and affirm that I do not find my job duties or work environment to be unreasonable, offensive, intimidating, hostile, or unwelcoming. I also expressly acknowledge that MAD Concepts Group maintains policies expressly restricting harassment, fraternization, mishandling of cash and credit card policies, and drug and alcohol abuse. I understand completely and agree to abide by each of these policies. I also expressly acknowledge that I have received copies of this written job description and all other applicable policies. I have received a copy of the Job Description and have read and understand its contents. I can perform all the duties stated.
Pay: $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- How many years of full-service hospitality experience do you have?
- What is your desired salary range?
- Please list 1-2 professional references. List their name, relation to you, and contact information.
- Have you ever worked or interviewed for a MAD Concepts Group restaurant? (Jakes or Tacos & Avocados)
License/Certification:
- Driver's License (Required)
Work Location: In person
