Franchise Operations Consultant

Smoothie King•Denver, CO

About The Position

The Franchise Operations Consultant (FOC) serves as a brand champion responsible for executing strategic initiatives that drive growth and operational excellence. The role manages an assigned territory of approximately 30–50 franchisees and is accountable for consistent execution of brand standards across franchised locations, including food safety, product quality, guest service, and store ambiance. The FOC partners with franchisees as a subject matter expert, helping identify methods and tools to grow sales, profitability, and operational excellence. The FOC develops, coaches, and mentors franchisees; guides business and operational decisions; and helps identify solutions and remove barriers to strong guest experiences, store performance, and profitability. The consultant reviews financial and operational KPIs, conducts onsite store reviews and audits, monitors guest feedback, and develops and follows through on improvement plans. The role also supports new store openings, collaborates with field marketing and internal leadership, and coordinates with legal on the default process when stores fail to uphold brand standards. Effective territory planning and travel are important parts of the position.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability and experience consulting with and influencing business owners.
Advanced knowledge of business operations and consultative approaches, including experience guiding leaders toward better business decisions.
Proven ability to deliver results and influence decisions through strong negotiation skills.
Ability to plan and prioritize to achieve business objectives, with strong accountability and focus.
Strong business acumen, including financial review and assessment and use of competitive data.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build partnerships with internal and external partners; personable and friendly when facing adversity.
Self-starter able to work independently and deliver results with minimal supervision or guidance.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Undergraduate and/or graduate degree, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Five years of direct experience in a field operations-oriented leadership role in the food service industry or comparable multi-unit retail industry.
Intermediate to advanced experience with P&L analysis, inventory management, and operations management.
Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience in branded franchising or with a franchise owner entity is highly preferred.
Familiarity with Restaurant Magic/Data Central or a comparable store back-office tool is recommended.
Personal passion for fitness is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop, coach, and mentor franchisees, providing business and operational guidance and recommending strategies to strengthen operations.
Build franchisee commitment to corrections and company recommendations through clear, compelling communication and ongoing partnership.
Teach and reinforce operating procedures, brand standards, and practices for P&L, COGS, and labor management.
Analyze gaps between business goals and current performance, and recommend improvements based on business planning, operations, guest satisfaction, and marketing effectiveness.
Lead discussions of financial and operational KPIs, including P&L, COGS, inventory management, and labor productivity; identify opportunities and develop resolution strategies.
Diagnose barriers affecting guest experience, store performance, and profitability; support goal-setting, implementation, and measurement of results.
Conduct onsite Prime visits and audits to assess performance against operational initiatives and brand standards for food safety, quality, service, cleanliness, and store execution.
Monitor guest surveys, feedback, review sites, and social media; create and follow through on plans to improve the guest experience.
Follow up on new store openings in the territory to ensure a successful transition from development through training and operations; conduct new-store training when a trainer is unavailable in special circumstances.
Coordinate with leadership and the internal legal team and support the default process for stores that do not uphold Smoothie King standards.
Partner with Field Marketing to provide DMA-level leadership and implement tactics that increase sales, transactions, and new-guest acquisition.
Champion Smoothie King's mission and vision for product, service, and guest satisfaction across the franchise system.
Plan and schedule territory travel efficiently and use available systems and tools to conduct effective visits.
Promote Smoothie King's culture, values, and mission.