Food Service Manager – Tuttle Orchards

Full-Time | Year-Round

The Food Service Manager builds and improves systems, empowers leaders, and strengthens what already works. Success in this role requires balancing people leadership, operational excellence, and flexibility to deliver a consistently high-quality guest experience in a dynamic farm environment.  At Tuttle Orchards, the Food Service Manager does not simply run a kitchen — they lead and mentor a team of shift leads and seasonal staff, many of whom have little or no prior food service experience.

About Tuttle Orchards

Tuttle Orchards is a family-owned, working apple orchard and farm that brings our community together through farm-inspired food, seasonal treats, and educational experiences that celebrate agriculture.

Food service is a central part of the guest experience. The café and donut operation is open year-round. During the fall harvest season, food service expands significantly to include the grill, sweet shop, and snack shack. On peak fall Saturdays, the food service team serves approximately 2,000 meals/day.

Food service is supported by a small year-round core team and a large seasonal staff. During the fall season, the Food Service Manager leads approximately 12 shift leads, who oversee seasonal employees. Outside of the fall season, the Food Service Manager directly manages day-to-day food service staff and operations.

A large portion of the seasonal team is made up of high school students, and food service plays an important role in teaching young people responsibility, teamwork, and leadership while supporting the larger farm mission.

Role Summary

The Food Service Manager leads all food service operations at Tuttle Orchards, ensuring high-quality, farm-inspired food and treats are executed consistently in all seasons on the farm.  They are focused on refining and building on existing menu items, improving operational systems, and developing leaders.

The emphasis of this role changes by season:

Non-Peak Season: the role is focused on forecasting and planning for special events and peak season, running day to day operations in the cafe (customer service, staff, menu, ordering, etc), overseeing the donut supervisor, leading the food service team, and coordinating the production of frozen take and bake items for the Farm Store.  Non-Peak season is a mix of planning and running  day to day operations.   

Peak Season: the role is focused on overseeing the fall operations in Grill, Sweet Shop, Donuts and other food areas including managing leads and staff, ordering, forecasting, training, and customer service. 

The ideal candidate for this position:

• Appreciates variety of the job by season – enjoys a non-peak season of planning and daily operations and a peak season of leading a high volume food operation.  
• Loves teaching, coaching, and developing staff and shift leads, including high school-aged employees.  
• Builds, maintains, and improves operational systems while actively supporting day-to-day operations.
• Operates with flexibility and resilience in a farm environment.
• Aligns decisions with whole-farm goals rather than traditional restaurant-only KPIs
• Understands that the first year in this role focuses on learning Tuttle Orchards’ systems, seasonal rhythms, and culture. After that foundation is established, the Food Service Manager works with owners and the leadership team to identify and implement thoughtful improvements to food service operations.

Leadership at Tuttle Orchards

Leadership at Tuttle Orchards goes beyond task supervision. It blends people leadership, culture building, teaching, and systems thinking.  At Tuttles, leadership includes:

• Servant Leadership – Lead by serving, teaching, and empowering others. Remove obstacles, provide guidance, and actively coach staff and shift leads.
• Teaching & Mentoring – Train staff with little or no food service experience. Break down complex processes into clear, repeatable steps. Invest in developing high school employees and help shift leads grow as coaches.
• Systems Building – Create, refine, and enforce operational systems that allow food service areas to run smoothly, including scheduling, inventory, food prep, and quality control. Adapt systems to weather, staffing shortages, and high-volume days.
• Modeling Culture & Values – Embody Tuttle Orchards’ leadership values: empathy, professionalism, integrity, clear communication, approachability, and accountability. Address issues early and provide constructive feedback.
• Flexibility & Problem Solving – Remain calm under pressure, adapt quickly to changing conditions, and guide the team through challenges.
• Cross-Farm Collaboration – Work with other departments leaders in produce, farm store, events and activities, marketing and others to ensure food service supports the broader farm experience and operates in alignment with whole-farm goals.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Operations & Planning

• Oversee all food service areas, including the year-round café, donuts, fall grill, fall sweet shop, other fall locations and oversee production of frozen take and bake quiche and dumplings.
• Plan and coordinate food service for year-round operations and expanded seasonal events, including menu planning, staffing needs, logistics, and inventory.
• Maintain consistent production of core items such as donuts, caramel apples, cider slushies, and grill meals – and after an understanding of what menu items work with Tuttle’s culture and environment – help develop select menu items to expand food service offerings.
• Develop, refine, and maintain operational systems that ensure customer service, food quality, efficiency, and efficient service flow.
• Troubleshoot and coordinate equipment and technology issues.
• Receive food service produce, keep track of inventory, correctly date products.  

Guest Experience & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure great customer service through systems, staff training, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor guest feedback and collaborate with other farm teams to improve food offerings and service.
• Support marketing efforts by communicating seasonal offerings, specials, and menu updates.

Leadership & Staff Development

• Teach food skills, food safety, and operational processes.
• Train and empower shift leads to coach, supervise, and mentor seasonal staff.
• Provide clear expectations, feedback, and accountability.
• Foster a positive, welcoming, and high-performing team culture aligned with Tuttle Orchards’ leadership values.
• Manage donut supervisor and any other year round food service supervisor positions including ongoing coaching, development, performance reviews.  

Planning & Forecasting 

• Create and maintain plans to forecast sales, menus, and product needs for daily operations, seasonal events, and peak season. 
• Create and maintain a plan for food purchasing, inventory, and food prep to meet demand.  Monitor inventory levels, food costs, and make necessary adjustments.
• Ensure that labor goals are met for food service areas.  
• Provide financial and operational insights to the management team for planning and decision-making.
• Use Tuttle’s produce for menu items along with local vendors and vendors highlighted in the farm store when possible – balancing quality, price, and volume needs.  Openness to partnering with local vendors and farmers when possible in addition to traditional food service distributors.   

Compliance & Food Safety

• Maintain compliance with local, state, and federal food safety regulations.
• Oversee sanitation, labeling, allergen management, and traceability systems.
• Prepare for inspections and maintain required documentation.

Whole Farm Leadership & Core Team Commitment

• The Food Service Manager is expected to lead with a whole-farm mindset. This role requires prioritizing the success of the entire farm over any single department.
• Collaborate closely with all department leaders (retail, upick, produce, farming, hiring, marketing) to ensure unified planning and execution.
• Share staff, shift leads, and resources across departments when needed.  Support cross-training and movement of team members to meet farm-wide needs.

Compensation & Benefits

• Full-time, year round leadership position
• Compensation based on experience
• Health insurance benefits available
• No late-evening hours (closing at 7:00 pm)
• No Sunday hours

Working Conditions

• Full-time; average 40 hours per week, with additional hours during peak fall season (Aug – Oct).
• Operate forklift to move product (training could be provided).
• Saturdays required during fall and select event days.  Two Saturdays a month typically year round.
• Work in all weather conditions and temperatures, including walk-in freezers.
• Exposure to farm, kitchen., and food service environments, including allergens and sanitizing chemicals.
• Physical requirements include standing for long periods, repetitive movements, lifting up to 50 lbs., bending, kneeling, climbing ladders, and operating kitchen and farm equipment.

Qualifications

Required

• Strong leadership skills and experience managing a team including supervisors.  
• Demonstrated ability to teach, coach, and develop staff, including both supervisors and high school-aged employees.
• Experience in customer service and ability to receive feedback and make adjustments.
• Ability to successfully lead a team in an environment with multiple areas, supervisors, and systems running concurrently.  
• Strong understanding of kitchen systems, kitchen flow and operations, menu creation and food preparation (not a full-time chef role).  Proven ability to build, implement, and refine operational systems in a food service environment.
• Ability to set up and run an efficient expo food line in a high volume setting.    
• Strong skills in managing menus, purchasing, forecasting, and inventory, staff schedules – and the ability to adapt to changes in real time.
• Strong adaptability and flexibility skills.  
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong communication skills.  
• Strong commitment to food quality, sanitation, and guest experience.
• Proficiency with standard operational software (Google Apps, Excel, POS, inventory systems).
• Strong alignment with Tuttle Orchards’ values and leadership culture.

Preferred

• Experience in seasonal or outdoor food service operations.
• Culinary degree or trade certification.
• Experience working with food service vendors and ordering.
• Experience developing food and menu items for a high volume environment.
• Forklift operation experience.
• ServSafe certification (or equivalent).