Area Director

Jim 'N Nick's Community Bar-B-Q; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q is seeking an experienced Local Owner/Area Director to oversee 1–5 restaurants in the market. You will drive same-store sales growth, coach and develop general managers and teams, and manage budgets, policies, and operating standards across multiple locations.

Role requires strong business and financial acumen, talent development, and ability to lead in a fast-paced casual dining environment. Travel up to 60% may be required as part of market coverage.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in Casual Dining/QSR General Manager role.
• Minimum three years in Multi-Unit Leadership role as an Area Director.
• Strong background in restaurant operations.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Increase same-store sales growth and operational execution.
• Coach and develop managers and team members across markets.
• Direct daily operations including finance, facilities, and service quality.
• Manage budgets, policies, and cost controls to meet standards.
• Ensure compliance with health standards and brand guidelines.
• Build community involvement and drive performance across locations.

Skills

Business acumen

Coaching & development

Negotiation skills

Decision making

Communication

Planning & organization

Interpersonal skills

Accountability

Cost management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Local Owner (Area Director) will report directly to the VP of Operations. The primary responsibility will be to increase same store sales growth, coach and develop all levels of people in your market by focusing on operational execution, controllable cost management, and execution of our business model. The Local Owner will direct the daily operations of Jim N Nicks restaurants to include areas of finance, community involvement, employee relations, restaurant operations, retail, take-out, catering and new restaurant openings. The Local Owner will be responsible for budget administration, training, developing and implementing operating policies and procedures while ensuring compliance of Jim N Nicks standards. The Local Owner will have the responsibility for overseeing the people, product, processes, facility and operations of 1-5 restaurants.

Essential job functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Understands and promotes the Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ culture and brand image to benefit the organization.
• Provides their team with the information and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
• Passion for Jim ‘N Nick’s to become best in class and the energy and motivation to help get us there.
• Partners with each GM and team to establish goals/priorities and corresponding action plans/strategies.
• Role model of Jim ‘N Nick’s core values.
• Makes solid decisions on hiring, promotion, and separations.
• Communicates performance goals and standards so that GMs understands expectations.
• Actively listens to determine needs and concerns and quickly responds.
• Communicates with supervisor on successes and road blocks as needed.
• Takes ownership of their responsibilities and is accountable for actions.
• Maintains strong relationships with all members of the management team.
• Implements operational best practices.
• Seeks and welcomes the opportunity to learn new techniques and tasks.
• Builds support and commitment among others around company initiatives.

Operations

• Maintains required Health Department and Company standards at all times.
• Ensures that facilities are maintained properly, including equipment and building maintenance.
• Ensures all company standards, procedures and policies are being followed.
• Ensures locations under his/her supervision are consistently providing guests with best in class service and in an excellent environment.
• Is a role model for guest service and satisfaction and guest recovery.
• Monitors guest comments and ensures guest complaints and/or needs are handled promptly and with good judgement.
• Demonstrates strong business acumen.

People Retention and Development

• Monitors staffing levels, on-boarding, training programs & succession planning to ensure market is overstaffed and prepared with bench strength.
• Coaches and develops Managers and Team Members for current and future responsibilities.
• Analyzes own performance to develop self-improvement objectives.
• Ensures that wages are equitably administered and that disciplinary actions are documented.
• Monitors schedules to ensure a balance of business needs and quality of life commitments
• Maintains consistent performance standards for all Team Members.
• Develops teamwork and engagement. Provides quality time with Managers and Team members.
• Responds in a timely manner to Manager and Team Member needs, concerns and feedback.
• Regularly praises, rewards and recognizes their team.
• Ensures retention of Managers and Team Members directly measured by turnover data and better than industry average.
• Establishes an atmosphere of inclusiveness, fairness and mutual respect.
• Monitors costs to ensure they remain within budget while quality and service standards are maintained.
• Educates and assists management in analyzing P & L’s and creating cost improvement objectives/plans.
• Effectively manages individual G & A expenses, as well as the Capital Expenditures budget and process.
• Establishes cost improvement objectives and implements specific action plans.
• Manages inventory standards and procedures to ensure that accuracy and consistency.
• Prepares challenging and realistic location budgets for approval by COO.
• Follows and audits cash-handling policies and procedures and ensures that they are followed.
• Demonstrates strong business acumen.

Community

• Demonstrate current knowledge about the industry and the community.
• Partners with Marketing to creates sales building plan with a strong focus on community programs.
• Translates community involvement into tangible sales, creates brand awareness and seeks position of influence within the community.
• Measures ROI on community partnerships.
• Leads the new restaurant opening process to ensure successful opening.

Qualifications

Education / Training / Work Experience

Education/ Training/ Work Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years in Casual Dining/QSR General Manager role.
• Minimum of three (3) years in Multi-Unit Leadership role., as an Area Director
• Strong background in restaurant operations.
• Proficient with Microsoft Software Package (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to demonstrate strong business and financial acumen.
• Ability to coach, motivate, provide feedback and develop others.
• Strong attention to detail and decision making ability.
• Demonstrates strong analytical and strategic thinking ability.
• Identifies and analyzes problems and develops workable solutions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong negotiation skills.
• Must have strong planning, organizational and time management skills
• High level of interpersonal skills.
• Deliver results for which he/she is accountable.
• Dependable, flexible, and professional demeanor .
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Maintains high standards of personal ethics; is consistently honest and truthful in all situations.

Requirements

• Ability to stand for long periods of time and work in a restaurant environment.
• Ability to bend, stoop, kneel and move freely using all limbs and lift at least 30 pounds.
• Must be able to travel up to 60% of the time, attend meetings and visit Jim ‘N Nick’s locations, vendors, etc, possibly in other geographic locations, in inclement weather, and with minimal notification when needed.
• Must be able work under a high degree of stress on a physical, mental and emotional level; this includes performing work in a fast-paced manner and making timely decisions.

Jim ‘N Nick’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer and E-Verify Employer. This position description is not intended, and should not be construed to be, an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. It is intended, however, to be an accurate reflection of those principal job elements essential for making decisions related to job performance, team member development and compensation. As such, the incumbent may perform other duties and responsibilities as required.