Franchise Business Consultant

Denny's; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Denny’s Franchise Business Consultant in remote Northern California leads partnerships with 90–100 restaurants and 10–12 franchisees. You’ll drive accountability, harness KPIs and financial data, and align operations with brand standards.

This field-based role requires travel up to 90%, strong communication, and a focus on sustainable growth. Success comes from relationship building, credible coaching, and translating insights into action.

Qualifications

• Multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, franchise operations, consulting, or comparable business experience.
• Proven ability to build relationships and influence owners or operators.
• Strong operational and financial acumen with data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Degree preferred or equivalent experience; certification may be required including Food Safety.

Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with 90–100 restaurants and 10–12 franchisees within the market.
• Ask thoughtful questions to uncover root causes and drive ownership of solutions.
• Turn conversations into clear commitments with owners and timelines.
• Follow through on actions and address missed commitments constructively.
• Use KPIs, financial results, guest feedback, and operations to guide business conversations.
• Coach franchisees to connect operations to traffic and profitability.
• Partner with franchisees on promotions, pricing, tech rollouts, and brand initiatives.
• Identify trends and opportunities and report insights to leaders.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Financial acumen

Operations leadership

Franchise operations

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred

Food Safety Manager Certification

Job description

Franchise Business Consultant Remote Northern California | Up to 90% Travel At Denny’s, our franchisees are business owners—and our Franchise Business Consultants are some of their most important partners. We’re looking for an experienced restaurant or franchise operations leader who knows that driving results isn’t just about identifying what’s wrong or telling someone what needs to change. It’s about asking the right questions, listening to understand, building trust, creating buy-in, and turning conversations into action. The right person brings a genuine “How can I help?” mentality—but also has the confidence and backbone to address missed commitments, reinforce brand standards, and have difficult conversations when needed. If you know how to build real partnerships AND create accountability, this could be a great fit.

What You’ll Do

As a Franchise Business Consultant, you’ll serve as a key field partner to Denny’s franchisees, supporting approximately 90–100 restaurants and 10–12 franchisee relationships within your assigned market.

• Build trusted, productive relationships with franchisees and their leadership teams.
• Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions to understand challenges, uncover root causes, and help franchisees take ownership of solutions.
• Turn conversations into clear commitments—what needs to happen, who owns it, and by when.
• Follow through on agreed-upon actions and address missed commitments directly and constructively.
• Use restaurant KPIs, financial results, guest feedback, and operational observations to guide meaningful business conversations.
• Help franchisees connect operational execution to traffic, profitability, guest experience, and long-term business health.
• Coach and influence through credibility, business insight, and relationships—not simply authority.
• Reinforce Denny’s brand standards and help franchisees understand the “why” behind expectations and initiatives.
• Partner with franchisees on promotions, pricing strategies, CRM programs, technology rollouts, and other brand initiatives.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities across your market and bring field insights back to Regional Operations and Support Center partners.
• Document key conversations and commitments and maintain disciplined follow-through from conversation through execution.

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role?

• A Listener & Question-Asker You’re curious. You seek to understand before jumping to a solution and know how to ask questions that get beyond the surface of a problem.
• A True Business Partner You build credibility and trust with business owners while understanding that real partnership requires shared responsibility and accountability.
• Comfortable with Accountability You don’t shy away when commitments aren’t met. You can revisit expectations, understand what got in the way, and create clarity around what happens next.
• A Courageous Communicator You’re articulate, direct, and respectful. You can have difficult conversations, challenge when necessary, and hold firm without damaging the relationship.
• An Influencer You know how to create buy-in through relationships, business insight, and communication—even when you don’t have positional authority.
• Business-Minded You understand restaurant operations and the financial drivers behind them. You can use data to ask better questions and help operators make stronger business decisions.
• A Strong Follow-Through Person You document commitments, stay organized, circle back, and make sure important conversations actually result in action.

What You’ll Bring

• Multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, franchise operations, consulting, or comparable business experience.
• Demonstrated success building relationships and influencing business owners or operational leaders.
• Strong operational and financial acumen with the ability to translate performance data into action.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to navigate challenging conversations with confidence, professionalism, and good judgment.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Food Safety Manager Certification or the ability to obtain certification as required.
• Bilingual capabilities are a plus.

A Few Important Details

This is a highly field-based role with up to 90% travel, including overnight travel. You’ll need a valid driver’s license and flexibility to work days, evenings, weekends, or holidays when business needs require. You’ll also spend significant time inside our restaurants, so comfort working in an active restaurant environment is essential.

Why This Role Matters

Our franchisees have invested their businesses, their teams, and their livelihoods into the Denny’s brand. They deserve a partner who understands that responsibility. This role is an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with business owners, help strengthen restaurant performance, influence how our brand shows up for guests, and create real accountability around the work that moves the business forward. We’re not looking for someone who simply points out the gaps. We’re looking for someone who can help create the path forward—and get people committed to walking it.

Pay Range

Minimum:$100,000.00 - Maximum:$137,500.00

Denny’s Corporation is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of age, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, military or veteran's status, criminal background, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State, or local law.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should contact 864-597-8000.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THIS NUMBER TO CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION.

Denny’s Corporation participates in E-Verify. We will provide the Social Security Administration, and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. For more information on E-Verify, please contact the DHS at 888-897-7781 or dhs.gov/e-verify. Please note that we do not use this information to pre-screen job applicants.

To learn more about what it is like to work at Denny's, click here.

A career at Denny’s is open to everyone with a passion for great food, good service and good times. Whether you want to be a cook, a server or work behind the scenes, America’s diner is always open to take your application. Our many great management opportunities allow individuals with strong leadership quality, good communication and people skills, and with a desire to succeed through hard work a chance at a rewarding career! We employ valuable community members and we offer our neighborhood customers friendly, attentive service. At Denny's, we love to feed people. Click here to find out why.