Catering Lead / Coordinator

Modern Market Westlake Catering Lead Coordinator $16-$18 an hour

Modern Catering Lead – Thrive Restaurant Group 

Title: Catering Lead 

Reports To: General Manager 

Who This Role Serves: Restaurant operations teams, existing catering clients, new customers, the local community, and Thrive Restaurant Group. 

What Matters Most 

Ensure that every catering experience is craveable, accurate, and memorable. This role exists at the intersection of operations and guest relations—coordinating the details that make off-premise dining an extension of Thrive’s genuine hospitality. 

Roles and Responsibilities 

1. Catering Operations Management 

Focus: Ensure every catering experience runs smoothly and exceeds guest expectations. 

● Own: Full catering process from order intake, confirmation calls, planning, and preparation, to delivery and presentation. 

● Own: Coordination of necessary logistics, including staffing and ensuring all equipment and supplies are prepared for event execution. 

● Own: Train additional drivers as needed. 

● Own: Ensure all catering orders are accurate, properly assembled, and delivered on time. 

● Own: Follow up with each guest, by calling to ensure expectations are met or exceeded. ● Assist: Maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation, and health regulations for all catering activities. 

2. Client Relations and Sales Growth 

Focus: Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and the local community to support catering growth. 

● Own: Build and maintain positive relationships with existing 1st-party catering clients, through service follow-ups. 

● Own: Manage ezCater and third-party client management systems, serving as the primary contact for client inquiries and order management.

● Own: Create memorable experiences for all catering clients, using personal touches such as thank you cards, surprise-and-delight gifts, and above-and-beyond issue resolution. 

● Own: Represent Thrive's values of friendliness, dependability, and genuine hospitality in every interaction. 

● Own: Proactively soliciting new catering business through LRM activities to help grow community presence, brand awareness, and achieve sales goals. **In markets with Sales Managers; partner with the sales manager to solicit new catering business to help grow community presence and brand awareness. 

3. Financial and Administrative Support 

Focus: Maintain accurate records and support efficient restaurant operations. 

● Own: Utilize systems and tools to their fullest ability, including order acceptance, driver assignments, and creating production reports, pack slips, and labels 

● Own: Track guest contacts, maintain notes on clients, and keep record of all sales and outreach activities.. 

● Assist: Fulfill a restaurant hourly position during low-volume catering shifts. 

Expectations of the Role 

● Be Accurate and Detailed: Ensure all catering orders are accurate and properly assembled. 

● Manage Time Effectively: Demonstrate the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously. 

● Communicate Clearly: Use strong communication skills to manage client inquiries and logistics. 

● Be Proactive: Proactively solicit new business and stay ahead of logistical issues to resolve problems quickly. 

● Know the Tools: Be proficient in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office (especially Excel) to track and organize data. 

● Be Adaptable: Demonstrate flexibility to support catering events that may occur on nights or weekends. 

● Use Good Judgment: Know when to use strong problem-solving and leadership skills to address issues and lean into management for support. 

How Success Is Measured 

● Order Accuracy: Ensuring all catering orders are accurate and properly assembled.

● Client Feedback: Positive feedback and reviews from existing and new catering clients regarding service and follow-up. 

● Timeliness: Orders are delivered on time. 

● Compliance: Full compliance with food safety, sanitation, and health regulations. ● Sales Growth: Achievement of catering sales goals. 

● Data Integrity: Order acceptance rate, driver-assigned accuracy, follow-up calls, and client contacts are fully tracked. 

Contribution to Value Creation 

● Department Role: Value Creator / Value Executor 

● Missions: 

○ Culinary & Catering creates value by providing craveable food to groups and guests. 

○ Supply Chain/Logistics gets the right food and supplies to the right places on time. 

● This Role's Contribution: The Catering Lead brings both of these missions to life. They create value by building craveable off-premise experiences that keep guests coming back, and they execute that value by safely delivering high-quality, accurate orders on time.

Requirements: 

·       Reliable vehicle and proof of auto insurance coverage

Thrive Restaurant Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer.