Operator Insights with Carlos Linares, Global Foodservice Senior Executive
About the Operator
Carlos Linares has spent his career operating at the intersection of people, systems, and results. From grocery retail to multi-country leadership roles in procurement, culinary, and operations at a top-three global contract foodservice company, he became known as a translator—turning boardroom strategy into simple, repeatable workflows that succeed on the line.
As an experienced food service senior executive, Linares advises select technology and supply-chain platforms in foodservice. His focus: end-to-end operating models (recipes ↔ purchasing ↔ inventory ↔ finance) and practical ways to put expert guidance in the hands of frontline teams.
The Backstory
Linares entered foodservice after a successful run in grocery, drawn by the industry’s complexity and the opportunity to modernize it. Early on, he learned that change sticks when operators trust you, so he built trust by simplifying complex problems, staying calm in crisis, and making performance transparent.
One career inflection point came in Brazil, where he led a cross-functional “smart kitchen” initiative. By rethinking equipment, ingredients, and workflows—and measuring utilities, labor, and food costs holistically—the program delivered consistent quality at scale and a meaningful lift in gross margin. After proving results in a second site, the model spread rapidly and ultimately influenced the broader market.
Later, his remit expanded globally: Connect food management and supply systems across dozens of countries. That end-to-end view is the same throughline driving his work today.
The Conversation
Ian Christopher:
You’ve been called a translator between strategy and daily operations. How do you describe the work you’ve done?
Carlos Linares:
I’m not an IT specialist, but I understand systems. My job has been to dissect complex problems, simplify them, and align operators, finance, supply, and IT around something they can actually execute. If a solution can’t be explained at the line, it’s not ready.
IC:
Why did foodservice hook you?
CL:
Compared to industries like telecom or retail, foodservice has lagged in technology. That meant opportunity. It’s also a people business—so the systems only matter if they help real teams succeed in real kitchens.
IC:
Tell us about the “smart kitchen” initiative.
CL:
We partnered across equipment, ingredients, sanitation, and safety to reduce steps, stabilize quality, and manage utilities and labor as one system. We validated results in a second site, trained sales to position the value, and scaled. The outcome was a durable operating model that balanced quality with cost in a high-inflation environment.
IC:
What’s the next frontier?
CL:
Frontline-ready AI that carries the voice of your best experts—on a phone, in the moment. Imagine a site manager practicing a tough client conversation or getting real-time coaching on a menu change from an agent trained on proven playbooks. It has to be reliable, but that’s where AI will move the needle.
IC:
What advice do you have for operators and executives today?
CL:
For operators: Be a tough partner, not a lone wolf. Demand results from support teams—and use them fully. Lone silos cap out.
For executives: Make performance transparent and create a safe environment to challenge and improve. Mentoring multiplies expertise; make it a program, not an accident.
Key Lessons
● Translate Before You Transform: Turn strategy into simple, teachable workflows. If teams can’t explain it, they won’t sustain it.
● System > Silo: Link recipes, purchasing, inventory, labor, and finance so wins compound across the operation.
● Prove It Twice: Pilot, measure, and replicate under different conditions before scaling.
● Be a Tough Partner: The best operators both push and partner with central teams; going it alone limits impact.
● Make Numbers Shared: Transparency plus a safe room to solve problems accelerates improvement.
Why It Matters
Carlos Linares’ story is a blueprint for closing the gap between vision and the line. His career shows that meaningful change in foodservice comes from trusted relationships, clearly defined systems, and repeatable proof—then giving every frontline leader access to expert guidance exactly when they need it.
Ready to Connect Your Operation End-to-End?
Discover how Galley’s Culinary Resource Planning (CRP) technology connects recipes, purchasing, inventory, and production—and puts expert guidance closer to the line.
