Catering Sales Manager

Mellow Mushroom Avondale

Catering Sales Manager

Jacksonville, FL
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Benefits:

    401(k)

    401(k) matching

    Bonus based on performance

    Competitive salary

    Dental insurance

    Health insurance

    Catering Sales Manager

    Job Description & Compensation Plan

    5-Unit Casual Dining Group — Jacksonville, FL

    Job Description

    Position Overview

    We own and operate five casual dining restaurants across the Jacksonville market. Catering is a channel we know has significant untapped potential — we do some today, but we're effectively building this business from the ground up. We're hiring our first dedicated Catering Sales Manager to own that build.

    This is a sales and business development role. You'll prospect, close, and grow recurring catering accounts across Jacksonville, then coordinate execution with our restaurant teams. You won't be packing boxes or driving deliveries — our restaurants handle that. Your job is to fill the pipeline, manage the customer relationship, and make sure each event lands cleanly with the right store.

    What You'll Own

    • New business development: Build the catering channel from the ground up. Outbound prospecting, networking, and closing across all relevant segments.

    • Account management: Convert one-off orders into recurring relationships. Maintain the CRM, manage repeat order cadence, build referrals.

    • Logistics coordination: For every booked event, partner with the assigned restaurant's GM and kitchen team to communicate timing, menu, headcount, delivery details, and special requests. You quarterback it; they execute.

    • Local partnerships: Build durable relationships across the segments below — recurring revenue is the goal, not just one-time events.

    • Brand presence: Represent us at chamber events, sponsorship activations, tastings, and community functions.

    • Reporting: Weekly pipeline review and monthly catering P&L review with ownership.

    Target Segments

    You'll have wide latitude on where to focus. Priority segments include:

    • Schools (K–12, private, charter) and youth sports organizations

    • Local and professional sports teams (Jaguars, Jumbo Shrimp, Icemen, plus minor league and youth competitive)

    • Churches and faith organizations

    • Breweries and local businesses needing food partners

    • Corporate offices, professional services (law, accounting, real estate), and healthcare/hospital systems

    • Weddings, rehearsal dinners, and social events

    A Typical Week

    • Mornings: outbound prospecting, follow-ups, proposal building, CRM hygiene.

    • Midday: in-person meetings — school athletic directors, church administrators, brewery GMs, corporate office managers, HR contacts.

    • Afternoons: coordinating upcoming events with restaurant GMs, menu planning with culinary, networking events.

    • Some evenings/weekends: sponsorship activations, large events, tournaments, community functions.

    Who You Are

    • 3–7 years in catering sales, restaurant catering management, F&B B2B sales, or events sales. Restaurant-side catering experience is a strong plus.

    • Track record of building or growing a catering pipeline — you can talk specifically about accounts you opened and revenue you drove.

    • Comfortable cold-calling, walking into a school front office, working at a chamber event, and following up relentlessly.

    • Organized: you can run a CRM, manage 30+ open opportunities at once, and not let things fall through cracks.

    • Strong communicators write clean proposals, gives the kitchen what they need to win, and keep clients informed.

    • Self-directed. Most of your time is out building the business, not waiting at a desk.

    • Existing Jacksonville relationships are a plus but not required.

    • Valid Florida driver's license, reliable vehicle, flexibility for some nights and weekends.

    What Success Looks Like

    • First 90 days: CRM stood up, top 100 target accounts identified, 30+ active conversations open, first 10 booked events delivered cleanly. Catering process documented.

    • Month 6: Catering pacing toward $100K+ annualized. 5+ recurring accounts producing monthly orders. Strong feedback loop with restaurant GMs.

    • Year 1: $250K in net catering revenue, 15+ recurring accounts, a real and measurable channel that the business can scale further.