Food Service Sales Representative

Job Title: Food Service Sales Representative (Full-time Salary

• Exempt), Field-Based Job Overview Ferris Coffee & Nut Co. is looking for a Food Service Sales Representative who enjoys opening doors, solving problems, and helping customers build better coffee and snack programs. This role grows Ferris' food service business across restaurants, cafes, hotels, colleges and universities, cafeterias, and other away-from-home accounts. This is a hands-on sales role. The representative prospects for new business, learns how each customer operates, recommends the right products and equipment, leads tastings, and stays close after launch. The work also includes helping distributor sales teams understand Ferris and bring the right opportunities forward. Success looks like profitable growth and customers who want to keep working with us. The right person is curious, resourceful, comfortable in a kitchen or boardroom, and committed to doing what is right for the customer and Ferris. Key Duties and Responsibilities Grow the Business Prospect, cold-call, network, and build a healthy pipeline of qualified food service opportunities. Own the sales process from first conversation through discovery, tasting, proposal, negotiation, onboarding, and launch. Build practical territory and account plans that focus time on the best operators, concepts, and distributor opportunities. Deliver agreed-upon goals for new accounts, revenue, gross margin, product placement, and retention. Keep CRM records, pipeline stages, next steps, and forecasts current and useful. Build Lasting Customer Partnerships Earn trust with chefs, owners, operators, purchasing managers, hospitality leaders, and other food service decision-makers. Learn the customer's business, stay responsive, and follow through on commitments. Review account performance, solve problems early, and find sensible ways to grow the partnership. Coordinate with Customer Service, Operations, Coffee Education, Product Development, Marketing, and Finance to deliver a strong customer experience. Build Programs That Work Understand each customer's menu, volume, workflow, labor, equipment, training needs, and financial goals before recommending a solution. Recommend coffee, nuts, snacks, equipment, and service support that fit the customer's operation. Create clear proposals with sound pricing, program economics, launch requirements, and shared expectations. Confirm product availability, equipment support, credit, profitability, and operational fit before making commitments. Bring useful food service and consumer trends to customers without chasing ideas that do not fit their business. Bring Ferris Products to Life Lead coffee cuppings, beverage and food tastings, menu ideation, and product demonstrations. Show how Ferris products can be used across menus and dayparts, with attention to quality, versatility, and ease of execution. Prepare samples, recipes, equipment, and sales materials so every demonstration has a clear purpose and next step. Support launches with brew standards, equipment orientation, staff training, merchandising guidance, and follow-up. Win with Distributor Partners Build productive relationships with distributor leaders, category managers, buyers, and sales representatives. Train and equip distributor sales teams with product knowledge, samples, applications, selling points, and qualified leads. Work alongside distributor representatives on target accounts, joint calls, sales meetings, and industry events. Coordinate item setup, inventory, pricing, promotions, and issue resolution so customers can buy Ferris reliably. Work the Market and the Team Represent Ferris well in customer meetings, distributor shows, industry events, and the communities we serve. Share customer feedback, competitive activity, pricing, and emerging needs with the teams that can act on them. Provide reliable forecasts and early communication to support production, inventory, equipment, and launch planning. Use samples, travel, entertainment, and other selling resources responsibly. Leadership Expectations Own the result. Prepare well, make the next move clear, and follow through. Stay curious about coffee, nuts, equipment, menus, and how customers make money. Be direct and collaborative when customer needs, margins, or operational realities require a tough conversation. Bring energy and resourcefulness to the work while representing Ferris with humility and care. Key Qualifications Three or more years of outside sales, business development, account management, or distributor sales experience. Food service, coffee, beverage, hospitality, or consumer food experience is strongly preferred. A track record of prospecting, building a pipeline, leading a consultative sales process, and closing new business. The ability to build credibility with chefs, owners, operators, purchasing teams, and distributor representatives. Working knowledge of food service operations, menu development, coffee or beverage programs, commercial equipment, or distributor sales models. Confident presentation skills and the ability to lead tastings, demonstrations, training, and business reviews. Sound judgment around pricing, margin, volume, and customer value. Strong communication, organization, negotiation, and follow-through, with comfort using CRM and standard sales tools. Ability to travel regularly, maintain a field-based schedule, and occasionally work early mornings, evenings, or weekends. Valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record. A bachelor's degree is preferred; relevant experience will be considered. What Success Looks Like Ferris consistently wins profitable new food service accounts in priority segments. Customers launch well, stay with Ferris, and grow because the program works for their operation. Distributor teams understand Ferris, bring forward good opportunities, and execute agreed-upon programs. Pipeline, forecasts, account plans, and follow-up are accurate enough to guide action across the business. Growth supports healthy margins and service commitments Ferris can deliver reliably. Customer and market insights help Ferris improve its products, programs, and food service strategy. Ferris Core Values We Win or Learn
• All experiences lead to growth We're Scrappy
• Do more with less We Do What's Right
• For the company, for the mission, and for each other We Embrace Open-mindedness
• All perspectives matter We're ALL In
• Be invested in what you do Physical Demands and Work Environment The Food Service Sales Representative works in home or office, vehicle, customer, distributor, kitchen, cafe, hospitality, event, warehouse, and manufacturing environments. The employee frequently sits, stands, walks, communicates, uses a computer and phone, drives, carries samples or sales materials, and operates or demonstrates coffee equipment. The role requires regular local or regional travel, with occasional overnight travel and work outside standard business hours. Customer and production environments may include heat, noise, wet surfaces, changing temperatures, food allergens, and required personal protective equipment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Direct Reports None currently EEO Statement Ferris Coffee & Nut Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment, and we are committed to equal employment opportunities for all. At Ferris Coffee & Nut Company, our objective is always to provide quality products, services, and experiences. We fully recognize that building a diverse team continuously drives that objective forward. Employment decisions are made based on business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, protected genetic information, height, weight, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. At-Will Nothing in this job description or in any other communication, written or verbal, should be considered an employment contract. Employment with Ferris Coffee & Nut Company is at-will, and both the company and the employee retain the right to terminate employment at any time, with or without cause.