Kent MacKenzie

Territory Sales Manager

Kent MacKenzie is a motivated, reliable part of the Morton team who is passionate about working with independent restaurants. He’s skilled, personable and dedicated to getting the job done no matter how much work it takes. Kent is always ready to learn because the more knowledge he has, the better he can support his customers. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Kent knows what independent restaurants need to succeed. Here’s what Kent had to say about working with Morton Food Service.

How would you describe the Morton difference to existing and potential customers?

The sales department is filled with people that have extensive back of the house/ operator experience. We have experienced countless training sessions educating us about restaurant success including financial maintenance, food costs, labour costs etc. We understand that your success breeds our success and we want to contribute to that.

How does Morton work as a team to help independent restaurants thrive?

Our sales meetings are filled with product development and profitability plans for our base with a host of experienced vendors. Being able to market a new line to our customer base (and show them the profitability) gives us an advantage over our competitors.

In your experience, what value does this collaborative approach to client service provide to foodservice operators?

It takes a team effort for a restaurant to cut a decent profit. We can help by assisting with food costing and developing profitable features while reducing inventory costs. Our sales team carries a passion for your success and the majority of us have come from your side of the table.

What previous experience do you have in food service, and how do your knowledge and skills help support independent operators?

My first 15 years of employment were in the restaurant industry. I started as a dishwasher and worked up to head chef, eventually operating my own kitchens. I worked under a number of amazing chefs and obtained knowledge on preparing fantastic food as well as the financial part of operating a successful restaurant. I later moved to food service sales and have enjoyed this career for 33 years. My knowledge has grown throughout this tenure and I use it to better support independent operators.

Tell us about a time you went above and beyond to help a customer.

I helped a customer break down and food cost his top 20 items. This exposed a number of leaks in profitability. Adjusting his portions and pricing resulted in the increased profitability and success in his operation.

What is the best part of your job?

Working with the public. I’ve met an amazing number of people in my tenure.