Director of Operations - Restaurants

Dave's Hot Chicken•Chicago, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Dave’s Hot Chicken is looking for a highly motivated, results-driven Director of Operations to lead and support our growing restaurant operations. This position is responsible for driving operational excellence across multiple locations while developing strong leaders, building a high-performance culture, delivering an exceptional guest experience, and achieving financial results. We are looking for a leader who understands that great restaurant operations start with great people. The Director of Operations will work closely with General Managers and restaurant leadership teams to create accountability, consistency, and a culture where team members feel supported, challenged, recognized, and given opportunities to grow.

Requirements

7+ years of progressive restaurant operations leadership experience.
3+ years of successful multi-unit leadership experience.
Experience overseeing multiple high-volume restaurant locations.
Proven ability to develop General Managers and build leadership pipelines.
Strong understanding of restaurant P&L management, labor, food cost, sales building, and profitability.
Demonstrated ability to improve restaurant performance and hold teams accountable for results.
Excellent communication, coaching, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to balance people, operations, guest experience, and profitability.
Willingness to travel regularly between restaurant locations.
Must be willing to work weekend, nights and availability to travel.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting new restaurant openings is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and oversight for multiple Dave’s Hot Chicken locations.
Ensure restaurants consistently execute Dave’s Hot Chicken operational standards, food quality, cleanliness, hospitality, and brand expectations.
Conduct regular restaurant visits and provide clear, actionable feedback to leadership teams.
Identify operational opportunities and develop plans to improve restaurant performance.
Ensure restaurants are properly staffed and prepared to execute at a high level.
Maintain strong standards for food safety, workplace safety, and regulatory compliance.
Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing General Managers and restaurant leaders.
Build a strong pipeline of future General Managers, Area Leaders, and other operations leaders.
Create individualized development plans for key leaders and high-potential team members.
Hold leaders accountable while providing the coaching, tools, and resources necessary for them to succeed.
Recognize outstanding performance and create a culture where accomplishments are celebrated.
Ensure leaders are actively developing their teams rather than simply managing daily operations.
Promote a culture of respect, communication, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Take ownership of restaurant sales, profitability, labor, food cost, controllable expenses, and overall financial performance.
Analyze P&L statements and restaurant performance reports to identify trends and opportunities.
Develop action plans to improve underperforming locations.
Partner with restaurant leadership to increase sales while maintaining appropriate labor and cost controls.
Establish clear performance expectations and follow up consistently on results.
Ensure every restaurant delivers a consistently outstanding guest experience.
Monitor guest feedback and identify recurring opportunities.
Coach restaurant leaders on hospitality, speed of service, order accuracy, food quality, and restaurant cleanliness.
Ensure guest concerns are handled quickly, professionally, and appropriately.
Support new restaurant openings, including staffing, training, leadership development, and operational readiness.
Build leadership benches ahead of organizational growth.
Help establish scalable systems and processes as the organization adds locations.
Partner with senior leadership to develop strategies that support long-term growth.