Sr. Manager, Menu in Sandy Springs, Georgia at Huddle House Inc

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Menu will play a pivotal role in driving our menu strategy, product lifecycle, and promotional execution. We are seeking a dynamic professional with 5–8 years of experience in the restaurant industry, specializing in menu optimization, product pipeline planning, and cross-functional coordination. This role bridges strategy and field execution, ensuring our menu pipeline drives guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and brand growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Calendar & Testing Management: Oversee and manage the comprehensive menu calendar, including scheduling and tracking all product testing phases.
• Product Pipeline & Stagegate Management: Drive the product pipeline using a structured stagegate process from ideation to launch, ensuring timely development and alignment with brand goals.
• Market Research & Industry Trends: Conduct ongoing consumer research and competitive analysis to identify emerging food trends, menu white spaces, and optimization opportunities.
• Menu Analytics: Perform deep-dive analytics on menu mix, item profitability, pricing tiers, and performance metrics to guide strategic menu engineering and optimization decisions.
• Promotional Window Coordination:Lead the seamless execution of promotional menu windows across the system, which includes:
  Managing rollout ordering and supply chain alignment.
Hosting and facilitating operational training calls.Crafting and distributing clear, effective field communications.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Experience: 5–8 years of professional experience within the restaurant or foodservice industry, with a strong focus on menu management, product development, and menu optimization.
• Skills & Expertise:
  Demonstrated success managing product pipelines and stagegate innovation processes.
Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data and sales mix analytics into actionable menu strategies.Strong project management capabilities, with experience coordinating multi-layered promotional calendars and field rollouts.Outstanding communication, presentation, and cross-functional leadership skills (experience leading field communications and operational training is a must).