From the Managers’ Conference: Rosenberg, Randolph Rally Food and Service Managers
The Senior Vice President of the Services and Food Directorate, Darryl Porter, opened the general session of the Food and Services Business Managers conference by introducing Exchange President Jason Rosenberg and Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Marla Randolph to share encouragement during this week’s Retail, Food and Service Managers’ Conference.
“Services and Food play such a significant role in the organization,” Rosenberg told SFD team members, who are joining retail teammates in a conference for the first time. “We’re going to make sure we keep this going every year. We don’t want to turn back from this.”
Rosenberg spoke about how SFD operations have rebounded from difficult challenges, including those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In my 35 years with the Exchange, the 2023 Food and Services turnaround has been perhaps the best I have ever seen!,” Rosenberg said.
He also addressed other successes of 2023, including an aggressive increase of unattended retail units (URUs). In 2023, the Exchange added more than 200 of the fully automated self-serve stores that offer better-for-you food option, for a total of more than 400 across nearly 80 installations.
“URUs are on fire,” Rosenberg said. “Commands love them. Communities love them. They give our customers 24/7 access, which is what they desire. We can’t always do that with an Express. The URUs play a huge role in troop feeding.”
Rosenberg also discussed advanced telecom, calling it an “awesome, exciting opportunity” and highlighting SFD’s cell-tower business. In 2023, Services also installed cell towers at select Army installations, delivering increased cellular and internet connectivity, a significant Quality-of-Life improvement—thanks to new cell towers from the Exchange. At year-end, the Exchange had more than 30 cell towers and more than 200 small cells (mini cell sites that augment cellular service); SFD expects to add 30 towers and nearly 70 small cells in 2024.
Food successes of the past couple of years include name-brand restaurants at CONUS Exchanges converting their point-of-sale systems to those used by each brand.
“We had previously used retail registers to sell food, but, Burger King Burger King and other brands have invested millions in developing their POS,” Rosenberg said. “SFD got after converting to brands’ POS systems, and the results have been amazing.”
Rosenberg noted another success in DoorDash delivery, which the Exchange launched at restaurants in 2021. “What the team did to roll out DoorDash was just stunning,” Rosenberg said. “We went from zero to 40 installations in the first year. They did it with amazing speed.”
Randolph followed Rosenberg’s remarks with some words of advice.
“The easiest way to see how great you can be is to compare yourself to others,” Randolph said, emphasizing retaining staff and treating team members well. “We want you to be passionate about this. You can do it. We should allow ourselves to be as great as our people are. Take care of your people. Let them know that they’re appreciated.”
After Rosenberg and Randolph spoke, Vice President of Services Operations Denise Hunter underscored the conference’s “Better Together” theme by talking about how closely Food and Services must work as teams.
“We are truly better together,” Hunter said. “Food and services managers have to work together. We need to make sure we’re aligned at all levels, doing what we need to do to take care of the business, take care of the customers and take care of one another.”
Vice President of Food Danita Jones agreed. “Food and Services is one team, sharing a mission of serving those who serve,” Jones said. “Whether it’s providing tastes of home, 24/7 convenience, improved cellular service or health and wellness services, we exemplify the core value of Family Serving Family.”
Check out all the coverage from the 2024 RFSM conference:
Director/CEO Tom Shull Opens Managers’ Conference With Message of Unity, Strength
Four Exchanges Awarded Director/CEO Cup as Top Stores Worldwide
From the Managers’ Conference: Winners of the COO X, Building the Bench, Services and UROC Awards
From the Managers’ Conference: Honoring the Memory of Robin Williams, an Exchange Hero’
Contingency Operations: What it Takes to Support Troops at the Tip of the Spear
