Her Story
About Cindy
Cindy Keys is Vice President of Procurement at Snooze an A.M. Eatery in Denver, Colorado, where she leads procurement strategy for a fast-growing, multi-state breakfast concept. Over more than four decades in the hospitality and restaurant industry, she spent her first eighteen years in operations before transitioning into procurement, a discipline she has now practiced for the majority of her career. She joined her current organization more than eleven years ago after being recruited by a former CFO she had previously worked alongside, and she has since helped guide the company's expansion from just nine locations in three states to over seventy restaurants across ten states. In her role, she oversees nearly every purchasing category outside of furniture, fixtures, and equipment, managing vendor relationships, negotiating contracts, and steering supply continuity for an operation with spend exceeding $100 million. She is widely recognized for her ability to keep supply chains resilient through disruption, having led sourcing standards, recall and quality-assurance protocols, and cost-saving initiatives that have delivered millions in savings despite inflation and logistics challenges.
Keys originally set out on a very different career path, studying business communications at Wayne State University with dreams of becoming a sports broadcaster and completing internships with the Detroit Pistons and Comcast Cable. The restaurant industry ultimately captured her interest instead, and she built her career from the ground up, including years as a food and beverage controller at Morton's of Chicago, where she helped open new locations and consistently ranked among the top performers companywide for cost control. Along the way, she also served as a corporate merchandise manager, sharpening her expertise in category management, rebate programs, and supplier negotiations before stepping into procurement leadership full time.
Beyond her operational responsibilities, Keys is an active voice for community and mentorship within her industry. She co-leads She Cakes, an internal women's empowerment committee, and serves on her company's DEIB task force, sustainability board, and crisis management team, while also founding an external women's networking group that meets monthly. She sits on the Core Trust GPO Hospitality Advisory Board and belongs to the Denver Women's Leaders Association, and she supports World Kitchen, a nonprofit delivering meals to communities affected by crisis around the world. Known for encouraging young women in her field to be confident, curious, and unafraid to take up space, Keys continues to champion greater representation for women in the traditionally male-dominated world of supply chain management, and she is set to be recognized as a featured honoree by Influential Women in 2026.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cindy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my long career in hospitality, my willingness to take on varied roles and challenges along the way, and my commitment to continuous learning on the job. I've also been fortunate to have mentorship from leaders who supported my early development. I often reflect on something a manager once wrote in my evaluation — he wondered whether I acted out of fear of success or fear of failure. That observation has stayed with me and continues to push me to reflect on whether I'm holding myself back.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received came from a manager who wrote in my evaluation that he wondered if I acted out of fear of success or fear of failure. That comment has stuck with me ever since, and it constantly prompts me to examine whether I'm not moving forward because of fear of failure or fear of success.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering this industry to stay confident and curious. Take up the space you rightfully have, make your voice heard, and don't be afraid to ask the bold questions. I also encourage them to challenge their peers and hold others to a high standard, while continuing to support and encourage one another.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is supply chain logistics and ensuring full distribution into restaurants — a problem that became especially visible during the pandemic and continues to ebb and flow. Beyond that, our industry remains predominantly male-driven, so I see both a challenge and an opportunity in increasing female representation in supply chain and making sure women's voices are heard and respected in rooms that have traditionally been male-dominated.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Confidence, curiosity, and being present are core to how I operate, both professionally and personally. I place a lot of value on making my voice heard and on mutual respect. I'm also deeply committed to creating safe spaces for women leaders — through committees like She Cakes — where we can celebrate wins and openly discuss challenges. Supporting community and sustainability efforts, along with contributing to nonprofits like World Kitchen that provide meals in crisis situations globally, is important to me as well.
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