Associate, New Store Openings

Playa Bowls, LLC.; Belmar, Northern (NJ, KY); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

Low-odor kitchen

Casual environment

Job summary

Playa Bowls in New Jersey is seeking a New Store Openings (NSO) Associate to bring new Playa Bowls shops to life. You will support pre-opening readiness, training franchisees and coaching teams through opening and post-opening phases, ensuring an exceptional guest experience and long-term operational excellence.

Travel to support openings is required; you will collaborate with franchise owners, vendors, and internal teams to execute brand standards, manage inventory, and troubleshoot on-site

Qualifications

• Valid driver's license and ability to travel extensively.
• Strong communication and active listening skills.
• Ability to multitask, stay organized and detail-oriented under pressure.
• Excellent customer service and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Lead pre-opening operations and food safety assessments.
• Coordinate pre-opening setup, merchandizing and equipment placement.
• Manage inventory readiness and deliveries.
• Provide pre-opening crew training and train-the-trainer sessions.
• Coach franchisees through opening and post-opening phases.
• Monitor labor, product quality, and guest service standards.
• Troubleshoot vendor issues and support on-site operations.
• Familiarize teams with POS, TapMango, Chatmeter, GroupMe, and Sysco.

Skills

Travel flexibility

Communication skills

Multitasking

Customer service

Team player

Tools

POS

TapMango

Chatmeter

GroupMe

Sysco

Job description

Unique Benefits of Working at Playa Bowls

• Real work-life balance with stronger flexibility:Scheduling and support built around sustainable hours, so you can lead new shop openings without sacrificing your schedule - so you have more time for life outside of work.
• A cleaner, more refreshing shift:Playa Bowls shops run on blenders, refrigerators, and freezers instead of fryers and grills, so you're not leaving every shift smelling like a kitchen.
• A different kind of environment:Bright, casual shops paired with a relaxed dress code make Playa feel more like an oasis than a traditional fast-food kitchen.

Role Purpose

The New Store Openings (NSO) Associate is a positive, enthusiastic person who brings new Playa Bowls shops to life. This role supports new and existing franchisees and licensees through every stage of shop opening, from pre-opening readiness through post-opening execution, training teams, coaching franchisees, and troubleshooting issues in real time. The New Store Openings (NSO) Associate serves as Playa Bowls' brand ambassador on the ground, ensuring every new shop opens set up for long-term operational excellence and a consistently great guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

Brand Standards & Pre-Opening Readiness

• Serves as Playa Bowls Brand Ambassador, protecting and upholding brand standards across every new shop opening.
• Conducts the pre-opening operations checklist and food safety assessment, formally approving the shop for opening.
• Facilitates and supports pre-shop opening set-up, ensuring the shop is set up and merchandised to brand standards and planograms, including equipment and smallware's placement, front-of-house/back-of-house/management office set-up, and functionality troubleshooting.
• Manages inventory readiness, scheduling and receiving product and dry goods deliveries to confirm proper quality, quantity, and storage requirements are met.

Training & Team Development

• Leads and facilitates pre-shop opening crew training for a franchisee's first shop, and trains the trainer for subsequent shop openings (shop two and beyond).
• Coaches, supports, and guides the franchisee and their team through opening and post-opening, providing constructive feedback to set them up for success executing the Playa Bowls Way.

On-the-Ground Execution & Coaching

• Observes, coaches, and supports team execution across pre-open, open, and post-open phases, covering labor management (reviewing schedules and sharing best practices), product quality (monitoring prep, portioning, garnishing, packaging, and presentation), and guest service (ensuring consistent execution of the SURF service standard).
• Services guests using the point-of-sale system, prepares product, and jumps in wherever needed, serving as a hands-on role model for the team.
• Supports the franchisee and manager with vendor issues and guest complaint resolution.
• Performs key resource, system, and vendor knowledge checks to confirm understanding of platforms including POS, TapMango, Chatmeter, GroupMe, and Sysco.

Key Relationships

Internal Partners
Franchise Operations Team
Training Team
Operations
Construction Manager(s)
Marketing

External Partners
Franchise Owners & Licensees
New Shop Crews
Vendors (POS, TapMango, Chatmeter, Sysco)

Measures of Success

• Opening readiness: New shops pass pre-opening checklists and food safety assessments before approval.
• Training effectiveness: Franchisee crews are trained and confident executing the Playa Bowls Way from day one.
• Guest experience: SURF service standards and product quality are consistently executed at new shop openings.
• Franchisee support: Franchisees and their teams feel coached, supported, and set up for long-term success.
• Issue resolution: Vendor and operational issues during opening are resolved quickly and effectively.

Experience & Qualifications

Required

• Valid driver's license, with the ability to travel extensively to support new shop openings.
• Strong communication and active listening skills, with the ability to work independently and adapt to changing environments.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to multitask, stay organized, and remain detail-oriented under pressure.
• Great customer service instincts, with a genuine team-player mindset.

Preferred

• Personality traits that include being smart, friendly, outgoing, empathetic, and committed, with strong follow-through.
• A genuine passion for the Playa Bowls brand and business and a good sense of fun.

Role-Specific Expertise

• New shop opening execution and franchise partner coaching
• Pre-opening checklist and food safety assessment
• Crew training and train-the-trainer facilitation
• Labor scheduling and management best practices
• Guest service and SURF standard execution
• Vendor and system troubleshooting (POS, TapMango, Chatmeter, Sysco)
• Brand standards and planogram compliance

Position Requirements

• Must be willing and able to travel at least 2 weeks per month, as needed, for restaurant visitation, scheduled meetings, or company functions.
• Must be available to work weekends.
• Must be 21 years of age to comply with state age travel requirements.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods of time.
• Must be able to lift or otherwise move 25-40 pounds occasionally.
• Must be able to retrieve items from high and low shelving, the fridge/freezer, and under counters.

Playa Bowls is New Jersey's Original Acai Shop, founded in 2014. Our mission is to bring superfruit bowls to the masses using only the freshest, highest-quality ingredients while providing a fantastic in-store brand experience. What began with a pair of blenders, a patio table, and a fridge has flourished into a 400+ unit operator and franchisor of a leading fast-casual restaurant concept. Playa Bowls added 85 locations in 2025 and is on target to add 90+ new locations in 2026. Our continued rapid growth has created an opportunity for a leader who will help us continue to grow our brand.

OUR MISSION

Inspire and support our communities one bowl at a time.

OUR VALUES

Unique Benefits of Working at Playa Bowls

• Real work-life balance with stronger flexibility:Scheduling and support built around sustainable hours, so you can lead new shop openings without sacrificing your schedule - so you have more time for life outside of work.
• A cleaner, more refreshing shift:Playa Bowls shops run on blenders, refrigerators, and freezers instead of fryers and grills, so you're not leaving every shift smelling like a kitchen.
• A different kind of environment:Bright, casual shops paired with a relaxed dress code make Playa feel more like an oasis than a traditional fast-food kitchen.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Playa Bowls is an equal opportunity employer, and all aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.