Director of Operations

Taste Buds Kitchen - HQ•Chester, MD

62d•$115,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Operations is the executive operational leader responsible for building, scaling, and protecting Taste Buds Kitchen’s core franchise operating engine as we expand from 25 to 50+ units. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role bridges corporate strategy with unit-level execution. You will lead the operations department to ensure our franchise network operates as a cohesive, high-performing system designed for maximum franchisee profitability, operational consistency, brand standards, and rapid unit growth. In this role, you will direct a growing operations team, architect field coaching models to drive sales and profitability, govern new studio opening (NSO) execution, oversee supply chain health, ensure operational compliance, and maintain strong, trust-based relationships across our franchisee network.

Requirements

5+ years of progressive leadership in multi-unit operations, with at least 3–5 years leading operations within a fast-growing franchise system (prior experience navigating the 20-to-50 unit growth scaling phase highly preferred).
Success leading corporate field teams, managing broadline distributor relationships, driving franchisee unit-level profitability, and executing high-volume New Studio Openings (NSOs).
Outstanding leadership, executive communication, and negotiation skills—capable of inspiring corporate team members while building deep trust with independent franchise business owners.
Fluency in P&Ls, Prime Cost management, and unit economics benchmarking.
Ability to toggle seamlessly between high-level operational strategy, supply chain management, and tactical execution oversight.
Willingness to travel up to 25–35% for site visits, new studio openings, regional franchisee meetings, and team alignment.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience navigating the 20-to-50 unit growth scaling phase highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct and mentor the corporate operations team (Operations Systems Specialist, Franchise Business Coaches, and Culinary Lead) to maintain a cohesive, support-driven culture focused on franchisee success.
Design and scale our regional field coaching model as our footprint grows; establish studio-visit cadences, audit standards, and business-consulting playbooks that transition field support from simple compliance to strategic financial coaching.
Leverage monthly P&Ls and our system scorecard to rigorously analyze unit-level economics across all locations. Use this data to drive proactive coaching and lead targeted operational interventions to improve studio margins and protect overall network health.
Partner closely with the Head of Marketing to ensure operational readiness for national marketing campaigns, localized franchisee toolkits, and promotional rollouts at the studio level.
Establish, evaluate, and continuously refine the operational standards, platforms, and operating manuals that govern daily studio operations.
Partner with executive leadership to manage vendor contracts, broadline distributor relationships, and order guide compliance to maximize franchisee margin efficiency.
Translate brand strategy into clear, executable operational frameworks that simplify studio operations for multi-unit operators, general managers, and studio teams across the franchise system.
Direct the Operations Systems Specialist to ensure all brand manuals, training materials, and Operandio workflows reflect current operational best practices and brand standards.
Own operational readiness and soft/grand opening execution for 15–20 new studio launches over the next 18 months, managing the formal operational hand-off from onboarding to sustained field support.
Set the annual and quarterly rollout calendar for all new operational initiatives, technology updates, vendor transitions, and program/menu launches.
Oversee rollout workflows across Operations, Culinary, Systems, and Marketing to ensure seamless execution from corporate kickoff to studio-level adoption.
Track system-wide adoption rates, franchisee feedback, and ROI and operational metrics for all major updates, using data to refine future launch playbooks.
Evaluate operational capacity and studio performance for existing multi-unit operators prior to approving additional studio development.
Clearly communicate corporate policies, system modifications, and compliance expectations to the network, balancing firm brand enforcement with empathy and support.
Act as the senior escalation point for complex franchisee relations issues, working constructively with franchise owners to resolve operational hurdles and protect brand integrity.