Jack in the Box

Pepipa Yue is Vice President of Food Safety and Technical Services at Jack in the Box, where she oversees supply chain food safety and quality management, restaurant food safety systems and compliance standards, and auditing programs. With more than two decades at the company and a background in food science, her work focuses on helping to embed food safety into operational execution, strengthening quality systems, supporting risk management, and enabling innovation and speed in a complex quick service restaurant environment.

My career has always been rooted in food science. My academic background includes bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in food science and cereal science. Before joining Jack in the Box more than 20 years ago, I worked in consumer packaged goods and food ingredients. What attracted me to the quick service restaurant industry is how closely connected it is to the customer experience. In restaurants, decisions move very quickly from operations to the customer, and I have always enjoyed that pace and see the impact directly on customers.

Over the years, I have worked in research and development, quality management, as well as equipment purchasing and food safety. Working across consumer packaged goods, and food ingredients and alongside restaurant operations shaped how I approach leadership because food safety is never isolated from the business. Operations, supply chain execution and customer expectations are interconnected, and consistency depends on coordination.

Currently, I oversee food safety and technical services, which includes supply chain food safety and quality management, restaurant food safety systems and compliance standards, and third-party auditing programs. A major part of my role is making sure food safety and quality systems support safe, reliable and scalable execution while still enabling operational speed.

The Evolution of Customer Expectations

The quick service restaurant industry has changed significantly in recent years, particularly in how customers interact with brands. Mobile ordering, delivery platforms, loyalty programs and pickup channels have shifted customer expectations toward convenience, flexibility and speed. Dining rooms are no longer the center of the experience in the same way they once were. Customers want quick and seamless access to food through drive-through, delivery and digital ordering platforms.

At the same time, expectations around food safety continue to increase as regulators and customers look for greater transparency in sourcing, handling and the quality of ingredients and packaging. Many of these expectations are now standard rather than differentiators. All of that creates additional operational complexity. Restaurants have to move quickly while maintaining consistency across multiple channels and operating environments. From my perspective, the challenge is balancing speed with precision while maintaining strong food safety discipline. We rely heavily on technology and data visibility because they help support both operational execution and risk management.

Balancing Innovation with Food Safety Discipline

Within my role, I work closely with operations, supply chain and marketing teams to evaluate initiatives through food safety, quality, operational, customer and risk lenses. One priority is helping the organization move quickly while ensuring the right controls and systems are in place behind to support execution. Any process has to work consistently across more than 2,100 restaurants, so operational simplicity becomes just as important as innovation itself.

The restaurant industry will continue evolving rapidly, and organizations that succeed will be those that can adapt quickly while maintaining the discipline that protects customer trust.

Food safety and quality are foundational to customer trust. Customers may initially notice convenience or menu innovation, but long-term loyalty depends on confidence in the brand. Strong systems allow organizations to move quickly without compromising consistency or discipline.

One of the biggest challenges facing food industry leaders today is ongoing supply chain volatility combined with increasing regulatory expectations. Product availability, pricing pressure and compliance requirements continue to create operational uncertainty throughout the industry. Managing those conditions requires stronger coordination and better visibility throughout the system.

For example, we use real-time specification compliance monitoring to verify that operators and customers are receiving products that meet expectations. We are also implementing digital traceability initiatives connected to FSMA 204 requirements to improve visibility and response capabilities. Technology plays an important role, but strong supplier and distributor relationships are equally important because consistency depends on alignment across the supply chain.

Building High-Performance Teams

Leadership in this environment requires clarity, accountability and adaptability. I want teams to understand not only business priorities, but also how their work contributes to larger organizational goals. Technical capability matters, just like problem-solving, ownership and the ability to adapt quickly.

Teams need structure and processes that allow them to move efficiently without losing food safety and operational discipline. At the same time, I believe it is important to create an environment where people feel comfortable raising concerns, identifying risks and challenging assumptions when necessary. Continuous improvement depends on trust, communication and a willingness to keep learning.

I also believe leaders need to remain open to new ways of working. The restaurant industry evolves quickly, and organizations cannot rely only on traditional approaches if they want to keep pace with changing customer expectations and operational demands.

Leadership in a Rapidly Changing Industry

Going forward, leadership roles in food safety and quality management will continue evolving alongside technological and regulatory change. Leaders must stay grounded in operational fundamentals while remaining current on scientific developments, food safety systems and changing business conditions.

Equally important for food safety and quality professionals is maintaining a practical understanding of how operations function day to day. Data is valuable, but it must be balanced with operational insight and real-world execution. Leaders need to stay curious, adaptable and willing to continuously learn because the industry continues to evolve quickly.

For leaders looking to make a meaningful impact in the restaurant industry, my advice is to stay grounded in the fundamentals while remaining adaptable. Understanding operations, developing technical expertise and building strong cross-functional relationships are all essential. Collaboration is what ultimately allows organizations to move effectively and create long-term impact.

The restaurant industry will continue evolving rapidly, and organizations that succeed will be those that can adapt quickly while maintaining the discipline that protects customer trust. Protecting the customer and maintaining trust must remain central to every decision because that foundation ultimately supports both the brand and the longterm health of the business.