Director of Operations QSR NYC
PERSONE NYC
Job Description
Apply here or get in touch with us directly:
We are looking for a
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
High-Growth Healthy QSR / Fast-Casual Restaurant Group | New York City
$160,000–$180,000 Base + Performance Bonus
Target Total Compensation: $180,000–$200,000
Major NYC Expansion Underway | Clear Path to VP of Operations
An incredibly exciting opportunity for an experienced NYC restaurant operator to join a highly successful, growing healthy QSR / fast-casual restaurant group at a pivotal moment in its expansion.
This is not an early-stage concept still trying to figure things out. The business is successful, well positioned for growth and has already built a strong corporate foundation around its restaurants. Key leadership functions are in place, the company operates with a modern, technology-driven approach, and there is a significant pipeline for additional locations.
Now they are looking for an exceptional Director of Operations who can take ownership of restaurant operations, develop the next generation of leaders and help build the infrastructure necessary to scale.
The role reports directly to the CEO and sits alongside the company's existing HQ leadership team. As the right person grows into the position, the goal is for the DOO to take increasing ownership of operations, allowing the CEO to focus more heavily on strategy and future growth.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are looking for much more than someone who can manage multiple restaurants.
The ideal candidate is a builder — someone who has experienced restaurant growth firsthand, understands what it takes to open successful new locations and knows how to create systems that make a growing organization stronger rather than more complicated.
You'll oversee and develop General Managers, Kitchen Managers and other restaurant leaders while creating the structure needed for future Area / Regional leadership.
You'll help strengthen SOPs, training programs, reporting, communication and accountability across the organization. You'll be deeply involved in new openings and help make sure the company has the right people, systems and standards in place before each new restaurant opens its doors.
The company is specifically looking for someone who can turn its successful operating model into a repeatable playbook for growth, without sacrificing food quality, culture or performance along the way.
THE PERFECT BACKGROUND: QSR + FULL-SERVICE NYC HOSPITALITY
This is probably the most important part of the profile.
We would love to find someone who has worked successfully in both QSR / fast-casual and full-service restaurants, ideally in New York City.
From the QSR world, you understand systems, efficiency, technology, labor, KPIs, high-volume execution, standardization and scalability.
But your full-service background means you also understand something equally important:
Hospitality is about people.
You love restaurants. You enjoy being around teams. You know how to motivate a GM, recognize emerging talent and build a culture where people want to perform and grow.
You can analyze a P&L and build an SOP, but you're equally comfortable walking into a busy restaurant, connecting with the team and understanding within 20 minutes what's really happening in the operation.
We don't want someone who manages restaurants exclusively through spreadsheets and dashboards.
We want a restaurant person who also happens to be an exceptional business operator.
BUILD TEAMS. OPEN RESTAURANTS. SCALE THE BUSINESS.
A major part of this opportunity will be supporting the company's continued NYC expansion.
We're especially interested in candidates who have opened multiple restaurants and helped scale a growing restaurant group — someone who understands that opening locations isn't simply about construction schedules and opening checklists.
It's about people.
Who will run the next restaurant? Who on today's team can become tomorrow's GM? Which GM has the potential to become an Area Leader? How early do we hire and train new managers? How do we make sure every new location delivers the same standards without losing its hospitality?
You'll help answer those questions while building the leadership pipeline behind the company's growth.
The current expansion plan calls for additional NYC locations through 2027, making this an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the company's next generation of restaurants.
WHAT YOU'LL OWN
- Multi-unit restaurant operations and performance
- Development and coaching of GMs and restaurant leadership
- New restaurant openings and operational readiness
- P&L, labor, food cost, budgeting and forecasting
- SOPs and scalable operational systems
- Manager training and leadership development
- Restaurant KPIs, reporting and performance analysis
- Operational audits and continuous improvement
- Succession planning and internal talent development
- Cross-functional collaboration with CEO and HQ leadership
- Building the infrastructure needed for continued expansion
One of the best ways to describe the company's philosophy for this role is simple: your success should be measured by what happens when you're not in the building.
The goal is to develop managers into confident, accountable leaders who can independently run excellent restaurants.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
The ideal candidate brings 7+ years of progressive multi-unit restaurant operations experience, with a strong preference for someone who understands the NYC market.
You should have a track record of scaling restaurant operations, opening new locations, developing strong GMs and building systems that actually work in restaurants.
We're particularly interested in someone with:
- Experience across both QSR / fast casual and full-service restaurants
- Strong multi-unit NYC restaurant experience
- Multiple successful new restaurant openings
- Excellent P&L and financial acumen
- Experience building SOPs, training programs and scalable systems
- Strong understanding of restaurant technology and performance metrics
- A track record of developing and promoting leaders
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Genuine passion for hospitality and people
- The ability to balance high standards with a positive, collaborative leadership style
Experience with franchising or preparing a restaurant company for larger-scale expansion would be a strong plus.
COMPENSATION & GROWTH
Base Salary: $160,000–$180,000
Target Total Compensation: $180,000–$200,000, including a performance-based bonus program tied to clear, measurable goals.
Additional benefits include a $1,000 monthly healthcare stipend, Paid Time Off, complimentary meals and leadership development opportunities.
Most importantly, this role has a clear pathway toward Vice President of Operations as the company continues to expand.
WHY THIS ROLE?
Because this is the sweet spot for an ambitious operator.
The company is already successful and has the leadership, resources and momentum to grow — but it's still at a stage where the person joining today can have a real influence on what the organization looks like tomorrow.
The systems you build can become the company's future playbook. The managers you develop can become its next generation of leaders. And the restaurants you help open can become the foundation for much bigger growth.
If you bring the discipline of QSR, the hospitality instincts of full-service restaurants, and a genuine love for building teams and opening restaurants, this could be an exceptional next chapter in your career.
Apply here or get in touch with us directly:
personenyc.com
More detail about PERSONE NYC part of Persone NYC, please visit https://culinaryagents.com/entities/53115-PERSONE-NYC