General Manager (Chicago)

About Healthy Bites CollectiveHealthy Bites Collective is a national K-12 food service platform uniting four regional brands: Healthy Lunch Box (Houston), Twelve Oaks Catering (Dallas), Butter Beans Kitchen (New York), and Gourmet Gorilla (Chicago). We are building a scalable, compliant, and student-focused school nutrition platform.We serve a diverse mix of public, private, and charter schools across multiple states. Our brands combine local relationships with cross-state infrastructure to deliver high-quality, nutritious meals that make a real difference for students every day.The OpportunityGourmet Gorilla is a high-volume vended school food service operation based in Chicago. We prepare, unitize, and deliver hot meals daily to partner schools across the Chicago metro area. We are looking for a General Manager who can own the full operation: logistics, P&L, team performance, and client relationships.Gourmet Gorilla has an experienced Director of Operations who oversees production and food quality. What this role requires is an operator who can drive logistics execution, develop and elevate a team with deep institutional knowledge, own the financial performance of the site, and grow the client base in partnership with our platform sales resources.If you have led large, complex distribution or logistics operations, have owned a full P&L, and know how to build a high-performing team from a strong foundation, this role was built for you.Key ResponsibilitiesLogistics and delivery operationsOwn the end-to-end vended meal logistics model: production scheduling, unitization, hot-hold compliance, route management, and on-time delivery to partner schoolsBuild and maintain contingency plans for driver, vehicle, and delivery disruptionsEnsure temperature compliance and food safety standards are met from kitchen to school serving lineIdentify route efficiency opportunities that improve margin and service reliabilityFinancial performance and P&L managementOwn the full site P&L including food cost, labor, delivery, and overheadBuild and manage weekly financial reporting, forecasting, and variance analysisTrack and act on KPIs including cost per meal, labor efficiency, participation rate, and contribution marginPartner with the CEO and finance team on budgeting, capital decisions, and performance improvementTeam leadership and cultureLead and develop teams across logistics, production support, and customer-facing operationsBuild a performance culture in an operation with a team that has significant institutional knowledgeEstablish clear accountability structures, KPI ownership, and consequence management at every levelDevelop the leadership team and create a path for internal advancementClient relationships and business developmentServe as the primary relationship owner for Gourmet Gorilla school accountsPartner with platform sales resources to develop new school proposals and close new accountsBuild retention-focused relationships with school business managers and principalsRepresent Gourmet Gorilla in client meetings, RFP responses, and community eventsCompliance and qualityEnsure compliance with all federal, state, and local food safety and nutritional standardsMaintain HACCP standards and documentation across the operationOversee procurement in coordination with the Director of OperationsQualifications & ExperienceRequired5 or more years of experience in operations, logistics, or distribution leadership with full P&L ownershipDemonstrated track record of driving financial performance and building accountability in a team environmentExperience leading large, complex operations with significant daily throughput and time-sensitive execution requirementsStrong financial acumen including experience with cost management, margin analysis, and KPI reportingProven ability to lead through cultural change in a tenured or entrenched teamExcellent communication skills with the confidence to present to school administrators, leadership, and investorsPreferredExperience in food service, catering, or a regulated production environmentFamiliarity with HACCP, USDA, or local health code requirementsBackground in school food service, K-12 nutrition programs, or NSLPExperience developing and presenting business proposals or RFP responsesBilingual in Spanish and EnglishWhy Join Us?Gourmet Gorilla has a strong operational foundation, a platform with active growth ambitions, and a real need for a leader who can take ownership and drive performance. The person who takes this job will shape what Gourmet Gorilla looks like over the next several years. And the mission, feeding kids in Chicago schools every single day, is one you will feel every time you walk in the door.BenefitsPaid Time OffHealth Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)Retirement Plan (401k, IRA) with company matchLife Insurance