The Commissary Head – Mumbai will be responsible for setting up, launching, and running the Mumbai commissary and dark store end-to-end.
This is a critical city‑level leadership role that combines the hands‑on rigour of a central kitchen operation with the commercial mindset of a P&L owner. You will work closely with the Pan India Business Head to ensure Mumbai's commissary becomes a model for quality, efficiency, and scale.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. Commissary Setup & Launch
- Own the end-to-end setup of the Mumbai commissary — from layout planning, equipment procurement, and kitchen design to SOPs and go‑live.
- Coordinate with the Pan India Business Head to replicate proven processes and adapt them for Mumbai's specific requirements.
- Identify, onboard, and manage third‑party kitchen and operational partners where required.
- Establish the correct recipes, quality benchmarks, and production standards before the first day of operations.
Drive the financial health of the Mumbai commissary and dark store.
- Own the P&L for the Mumbai commissary as per the business plan, with accountability for revenue, cost of production, and EBITDA.
- Manage the dark store P&L and operations, including leasing of space to third‑party partners where applicable.
- Track and analyse financial reports and metrics to optimise performance and flag deviations early.
Ensure the commissary consistently meets demand from Foodstories' Mumbai retail stores and
- Achieve daily fill rates to stores as per the production plan.
- Maintain a product assortment that reflects Foodstories' distinct gourmet identity across all categories.
- Optimise manpower, energy, and machine utilisation to maximise throughput without compromising quality.
4. Inventory & Supply Chain Management
- Ensure tight inventory control and minimal waste across all material categories.
- Monitor raw materials (RM), packaging materials (PM), and finished goods (FG) inventory levels.
- Implement strategies to prevent overstocking, reduce wastage, and ensure timely replenishment.
- Build reliable local vendor relationships for sourcing fresh and artisanal inputs in Mumbai.
5. Quality, Compliance & Food Safety
- Uphold Foodstories' uncompromising standards of health, hygiene, and food safety.
- Ensure full compliance with FSSAI, local municipal, and other applicable food safety regulations.
- Conduct regular internal audits and inspections to enforce compliance across all production areas.
- Maintain documentation and hygiene records as per regulatory and brand standards.
6. Team Building & Management
- Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing commissary team in Mumbai.
- Build the team from scratch — hire, induct, and train kitchen staff, supervisors, and support personnel.
- Foster a positive, accountable, and safety‑first work culture to minimise attrition.
- Conduct regular performance reviews and run structured training programmes to raise the bar on skill and output quality.
- Collaborate with the culinary and category teams to keep the product range fresh and competitive.
- Work with chefs and front-end category leads in Mumbai and at the Pan India level to develop, trial, and launch new products.
- Translate consumer feedback and market trends into actionable product improvements.
- Manage vendor relationships and ensure effective utilisation of assets.
- Oversee sub-lessees and third-party providers for kitchen setups and back‑end operations.
- Ensure kitchen machines, cold rooms, and all commissary assets are maintained to the required standard.
- Address maintenance issues proactively to avoid production disruptions.
9. Customer & Store Interface
- Stay connected to stores and customers to drive continuous improvement.
- Regularly visit Foodstories stores in Mumbai to gather first‑hand feedback on product quality and availability.
- Address store feedback swiftly and loop in relevant teams to resolve recurring issues.
- Act as the key liaison between the Mumbai commissary and the retail front end.
- Stay ahead of the curve in Mumbai's rapidly evolving gourmet and food production landscape.
- Track competitor commissary models, new product launches, and pricing trends in the market.
- Share insights with the Pan India team to inform product development and operational improvements.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING
- 8–12 years of experience in food production, central kitchen, or commissary operations, with at least 3 years in a leadership role — ideally within a premium, gourmet, or QSR food brand.
- Proven experience setting up and running a commissary or central kitchen from scratch is highly desirable.
- Strong P&L acumen — ability to manage budgets, control costs, and read financial reports with confidence.
- Deep expertise in inventory control across RM, PM, and FG; vendor management; and supply chain management.
- Thorough knowledge of FSSAI regulations, food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards.
- Hands‑on familiarity with kitchen equipment maintenance and facility management.
- Strong people management skills — experience hiring, training, and retaining kitchen teams.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work across chefs, category leads, store managers, and vendors.
- Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable with ambiguity, able to make decisions, and willing to roll up sleeves in a high‑growth startup environment.
- Mumbai‑based or willing to relocate; familiarity with Mumbai's food supply ecosystem is a plus.
WHY FOODSTORIES
Foodstories is one of India's most exciting gourmet food ventures, founded by Ashni and Avni Biyani. This role puts you at the heart of building something new — a category‑defining commissary operation in one of India's most demanding and rewarding food markets. You will have real ownership, a direct line to leadership, and the opportunity to shape how premium food is produced and delivered at scale in Mumbai.