Food Safety Manager

At Mo’ Bettah’s, we value Kuleana (Responsibility), Ho’okipa (Hospitality and Aloha), Ho’okuku (Competitiveness), Mo’omeheu (Culture), Miki’oi (Fine Craftsmanship), and Pono (Righteousness). These values reflect the qualities of an ideal team player: hunger, kindness, energy, humility, and selflessness. We believe in taking responsibility for our actions, celebrating our unique Hawaiian culture, providing personable service, striving for excellence, and paying attention to detail.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Reporting to the COO, this role owns the design, execution, and continuous improvement of Mo’ Bettahs’ food safety and sanitation programs across every restaurant in the system. You will partner closely with Operations, Training, Supply Chain, and Construction to ensure every plate served — from kalua pig to white rice — meets the highest standards of safety, quality, and regulatory compliance. You will own HACCP plans, third-party audit programs, ServSafe certification, and the company’s response to foodborne illness allegations and supplier recalls. As we scale from 75 to nearly 90 restaurants across eight states by year-end, you will build the systems, training, and health department relationships that allow us to grow without compromise. This position is based in Lehi, UT with significant multi-state travel (50–65%) to support restaurants across our operating footprint.

What You’ll Do

• Own and continuously evolve the Mo’ Bettahs food safety program, including HACCP plans, standard operating procedures, and brand-specific food safety standards across every restaurant in the system.
• Maintain compliance with the FDA Food Code and all applicable state, county, and municipal regulations across our eight-state operating footprint.
• Develop and maintain temperature, time, allergen, and sanitation standards specific to Hawaiian-style menu items, including rice handling, slow-cooked proteins, steam-table holding, and raw protein cross-contamination controls.
• Conduct in-restaurant food safety audits across the portfolio on a defined cadence, surfacing wins and recognition opportunities alongside corrective action.
• Own the third-party audit program (Ecosure, Steritech, or equivalent), including scope, scoring, vendor relationship, and reporting; calibrate scoring and standards across District Managers and General Managers.
• Serve as the company’s primary responder for foodborne illness allegations, guest complaints involving food safety, supplier recalls, and health department actions.
• Manage relationships with local and state health departments across all eight states; serve as primary point of contact for inspections, plan reviews, and variances.
• Own the ServSafe Manager certification program system-wide and maintain a current roster of certified managers in every restaurant.
• Build and deliver food safety training content for new hires, GMs, DMs, and Restaurant Support Center team members, including allergen awareness and Hawaiian-style menu-specific protocols.
• Partner with Construction, Real Estate, and Operations on permitting, plan review, and pre-opening health department inspections in both existing and new states.
• Partner with Supply Chain to ensure approved suppliers meet Mo’ Bettahs food safety standards, including third-party certifications (SQF, BRC, or equivalent), and lead supplier food safety reviews and recall execution.
• Build and report monthly KPIs on food safety performance to the executive team, including audit scores, illness reports, health department findings, training compliance, and recall events.
  
  

What You’ll Need

• 5 years of progressive food safety experience in a multi-unit restaurant, foodservice, or food manufacturing environment; multi-state experience strongly preferred.
• ServSafe Manager Certification required.
• Working knowledge of the FDA Food Code, HACCP principles, and state-level regulatory variation.
• Demonstrated experience managing food safety across geographically distributed operations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to coach in-restaurant and present to executive leadership.
• Ability to travel 50–65%, including overnight and multi-day trips across our multi-state footprint.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Public Health, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
  
  

Preferred

• Experience in audit score performance and trend by store, district, and region
• Experience in Foodborne illness reports and time-to-resolution
• Experience in Health department inspection results and follow-up closure rate
• Experience in managing ServSafe certification compliance across the system
• Experience in Supplier recall response time and execution accuracy
• Certified Professional in Food Safety (CP-FS) or Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) credential
• Prior experience opening restaurants in new states and navigating local regulatory environments
  
  

Working Conditions

The position requires qualified individuals to see, hear and speak (verbally and audibly). Required to ascend and descend stairs; sit and stand for extended periods; lift 30 pounds; bend, stoop, and kneel. Required to enter walk-in coolers and freezers during in-restaurant audits. You may be required to work outside in various weather conditions. You may be required to work on a computer for extended periods, including viewing the screen, using a mouse, manipulating a keyboard with hands, and reaching with arms. You will be required to drive and travel by car, air, or other transportation for business purposes on a regular basis (50–65% travel). Must be able to function effectively in a fast-paced working environment.

Mo’ Bettahs is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, veteran status, or pregnancy.