Eric Stein
Head of International Culinary @Church's Texas Chicken
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WORK HISTORY
Head of International Culinary @Church's Texas Chicken
Atlanta, GA, US
Direct international brand culinary initiatives and strategy of food and beverage innovation, menu optimization, new product development for 800+ restaurants throughout The Americas, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific regions including legacy markets and new market entries. Bringing the authentically unique flavor and bold taste of Texas to the worldLead global cross-functional teams of operations, field training, food safety, quality assurance, supply chain, and brand marketing professionals through core menu updates and robust regional calendars of limited time offer promotionsEngage internal teams, vendors, and franchise partners in menu and new product innovation process through ideation, recipe testing, and commercialization from concept to launch by exploring trend insights, running consumer validation sessions, and marketing calendar management resulting in a product pipeline of more than 30 new menu items yearlyOversee brand culinary marketing and visual identity including product photography, key visuals, digital and social assets, and menu boards for communication and distribution to internal stakeholders and franchisee marketing teamsPartner with franchisee stakeholders and internal leadership teams to understand business intelligence including conducting extensive market research through culinary immersion, competitive analysis, and centralized location testing to identify new areas of menu optimization, growth platforms, enhanced operational consistencies for improving cost of goods and enhancing consumer appeal for the brand and increasing return on investmentsRedeveloped and launched new brand culinary guidelines, streamlined menu and product innovation stage gate approval process, and updated international culinary operations manuals to help guide a clear and nimble path to market while upholding consistent operational standards, and improving franchisee comprehension for launching successful menu items
EDUCATION
Johnson & Wales University
Bachelor’s Degree
Eastern Illinois University
Master of Science
ABOUT ERIC STEIN
Think. Live. Dream. Food.” This mantra is a strong reflection of who I am personally. Professionally, it signifies my dedication to forever being a student to the craft of cooking, while always being curious to the possibilities of flavor, cuisine, and innovation. I am a seasoned culinary leader with a passion for emerging flavor trends, global cuisines, foodservice technology, culinary innovation, and brand marketing strategy. I specialize in food that is delicious and nourishing, while combining formal training with an imaginative approach to delighting customers by bringing craveable new foodservice products from concept to menu. My diverse foodservice background spanning restaurants, hotels and resorts, catering, manufacturing, and education enable me to provide insightful leadership and the ability to establish and maintain gold standards, advocate solutions, provide cross-functional training, and facilitate decision making in complex situations. I am a strategic, energetic, and process driven corporate executive chef who is accomplished in identifying business needs, required resources, and desired outcomes to deliver company objectives and project goals successfully and within budget parameters.Professional highlights include leading global culinary innovation and new menu initiatives across 28 countries and 3 operating regions as Head of International Culinary at Church’s Texas Chicken / Texas Chicken. Refining product development and cross-functional project management skills as Culinary Innovation Manager at Buffalo Wild Wings. Establishing and maintaining valuable long-standing relationships while building a broad set of skills in product commercialization across multiple segments of the foodservice industry as Senior Corporate Chef at Newly Weds Foods. I am a published author of Culinary Nutrition Principles and Applications, a textbook widely used in vocational and collegiate programs in culinary arts, nutrition, and sports kinesiology.Established areas of expertise include: Culinary LeadershipBrand Strategy and MarketingNew Product DevelopmentStage Gate Menu InnovationFoodservice OperationsGold Standard CommercializationTrend ForecastingConsumer InsightsProject ManagementQuality AssuranceMenu EngineeringCulinary Training and EducationNew Market Launch Executive Presentations Culinary Demonstrations Nutrition, Wellness, and Food as Medicine
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