Franchise Operations Coach

Slim Chickens•Fayetteville, AR

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Slim Chickens is a rapidly growing brand known for its hand-made food and ambitious growth. We are seeking a Franchise Operations Coach to serve as the primary restaurant-level coaching resource within the field operations team. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence, ensuring brand standards are met, and developing restaurant capabilities across an assigned portfolio of approximately 50 restaurants. The Franchise Operation Coach will conduct frequent visits to restaurants, develop improvement plans, and partner with franchisee operators to improve restaurant performance from 'Red' to 'Yellow' to 'Green' status.

Requirements

Extensive sub-regional travel with regular driving and periodic overnight stays required.
Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
High-energy, restaurant-level coach who is passionate about developing people, executing standards, and delivering measurable operational results.
Demonstrated ability to observe, diagnose, and coach to specific operational gaps at the unit level.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills; able to establish trust quickly with GMs and operators across diverse franchise groups.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write clear, actionable improvement plans and deliver candid coaching conversations.
Highly organized and self-disciplined; able to manage a portfolio of 50 restaurants independently with consistent follow-through.
Professionalism and tact in all franchisees, GM, and team member interactions.
Microsoft Office Suite proficiency.
Proficiency with restaurant operations platforms, visit scoring tools, and field reporting dashboards.
Ability to quickly learn new systems used across a variety of franchise restaurant environments.
Minimum of 2 years of restaurant operations experience.
Experience as a multi-unit or above-restaurant leadership role is preferred (e.g., Area Manager, District Manager, or equivalent).
QSR or fast-casual experience strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality, or a related field is preferred; or equivalent combination of education and restaurant operations experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience as a multi-unit or above-restaurant leadership role (e.g., Area Manager, District Manager, or equivalent).
Coursework or certifications in coaching, leadership development, or restaurant management.

Responsibilities

Conduct structured operations visits (4–8 hours each) to assigned restaurants on the approved cadence.
Assess restaurant performance across Back of House (BOH) operations, Front of House (FOH) hospitality, food quality, food safety, and brand standards during each visit using the official Slim Chickens ops assessment.
Develop and deliver written improvement plans for all locations following each visit, with clear priorities, timelines, and accountability checkpoints.
Track and report visit scores, trends, and action plan progress to the Field Business Leader on a weekly basis; flag at-risk locations proactively.
Identify recurring operational patterns across the sub-region and surface systemic recommendations to the Field Business Leader for escalation or system-wide consideration.
Validate successful implementation of new menu items, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), system-wide programs, and brand initiatives at the restaurant level during each visit.
Document all visit observations, scores, action items, and follow-up outcomes in the designated field operations tracking platform.
Support new restaurant openings by participating in pre-opening walkthroughs, training support, and initial post-opening visits within assigned territory.
Provide timely, candid, and constructive coaching feedback to General Managers (GMs), operators, and franchisee principals; recognize and celebrate progress and improvement.
Adhere to Slim Chickens’ policies and uphold the highest professional standards across all franchisee, GM, and team member interactions.
Participate in field team huddles, regional planning sessions, and all-hands calls as scheduled by the Field Business Leader.
Maintain a thorough understanding of Slim Chickens' established operating systems (e.g., quality, security, office environment, company policies, safety) and stay updated on these systems.
Perform other duties as necessary in support of business objectives.