MANAGING DIRECTOR – MULTI-UNIT RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

Restaurant Zone Recruiting; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Restaurant Zone Recruiting seeks a Managing Director to oversee two California locations, driving financial performance and guest experience. This is a hands-on, on-site leadership role requiring direct work with location managers and frontline teams.

You will own P&L, optimize labor and food costs, and develop a strong leadership pipeline while maintaining high compliance and operational standards.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive leadership in multi-unit restaurant or food-service operations.
• 3+ years of direct P&L ownership and financial management responsibility.
• California wage-and-hour regulations knowledge including meal/rest breaks and tip-pooling.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations across two California locations with consistent standards.
• Lead, coach, and evaluate location managers and supervisors.
• Maintain visible leadership on the restaurant floor during peak periods.
• Manage budgets, labor, food costs, and controllable expenses across both sites.
• Develop management talent and support workforce development initiatives.
• Coordinate with leadership on budgeting, vendor relations, and multi-location initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

P&L ownership

Financial management

Operations management

Staff development

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Hospitality Management

Tools

Heartland POS

Sales analytics/reporting systems

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Managing Director to oversee the daily operations and business performance of a well-established, multi-location restaurant and food-service business.

This is a senior operating leadership position responsible for driving financial performance, developing management teams, maintaining operational standards, and ensuring a consistent guest experience across both locations.

The Managing Director will work closely with company leadership to translate business objectives into measurable operating results. This individual must be a visible, hands-on leader who spends significant time on the restaurant floor, works directly with location managers, and takes ownership of operational challenges as they arise.

The ideal candidate has strong multi-unit restaurant experience, proven P&L accountability, and the ability to balance strategic business oversight with active, day-to-day operational leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Unit Operations & Leadership

• Oversee daily operations across both restaurant locations, ensuring consistent execution of company standards and procedures.
• Lead, coach, and hold location managers and supervisors accountable for operational performance.
• Establish clear expectations, conduct regular leadership meetings, and provide ongoing performance feedback.
• Maintain a visible presence during peak operating periods and actively support front-of-house execution.
• Handle guest recovery, staffing challenges, equipment issues, POS interruptions, and other operational emergencies.
• Build a strong management pipeline through hiring, onboarding, training, and employee development.
• Support workforce development and retention initiatives, including the company's 100-employee growth initiative.

Financial & Business Performance

• Maintain full P&L responsibility across both locations, including sales, labor, food costs, overtime, and controllable expenses.
• Monitor financial performance and deliver weekly reports with clear explanations of variances and corrective action plans.
• Develop and maintain labor schedules based on business volume and staffing requirements.
• Control overtime and maintain labor percentage targets at each location.
• Oversee inventory, purchasing, receiving, and waste management.
• Monitor discounts, voids, comps, and cash-handling procedures while identifying and addressing inconsistencies.
• Partner with company leadership on budgeting, capital investments, vendor relationships, and multi-location initiatives.
• Identify financial and operational risks early and recommend practical solutions.

Guest Experience & Operational Standards

• Protect the overall guest experience across both locations.
• Maintain consistent standards for service quality, speed, order accuracy, cleanliness, and product execution.
• Ensure front-of-house and back-of-house teams operate efficiently and communicate effectively.
• Oversee kitchen and production operations, including staffing, preparation standards, and production scheduling.
• Coordinate with production teams on seasonal offerings and limited-time products.
• Ensure consistent product quality and execution across all locations.

Compliance & People Management

• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, health department regulations, and applicable workplace requirements.
• Maintain required certifications, health inspection readiness, employee postings, and operating procedures.
• Ensure compliance with applicable California wage-and-hour requirements, including meal and rest breaks and tip-pooling regulations.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for location-level employee relations matters in coordination with HR and company leadership.
• Maintain accurate operational reporting, including sales, labor, cash handling, and other key performance metrics.
• Protect the accuracy and integrity of operational and financial data.

Qualifications & Experience

• At least 7 years of progressive leadership experience in multi-unit restaurant or food-service operations.
• Minimum of 3 years of direct P&L ownership and financial management responsibility.
• Demonstrated success improving sales, controlling labor and food costs, and driving operational performance.
• Proven ability to lead multiple restaurant locations and develop accountable management teams.
• Strong understanding of front-of-house, back-of-house, kitchen production, and overall restaurant operations.
• Working knowledge of California wage-and-hour regulations, including meal and rest break requirements and tip-pooling practices.
• Experience with restaurant POS and reporting systems, including sales analytics, labor reporting, voids, comps, and cash controls. Heartland experience is a plus.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to coach employees, deliver difficult feedback, and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, financial analysis, and organizational skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent operating experience will be considered.
• Current ServSafe or equivalent food safety certification required, or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel regularly between Oakland and Vacaville.

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

• Hands-on leadership: A visible presence in the restaurants, actively directing operations and supporting teams during service.
• Ownership mentality: Takes responsibility for operational challenges and follows through until issues are resolved.
• Financial accountability: Understands the numbers, identifies performance gaps, and takes action to protect profitability.
• Guest-first judgment: Makes operational decisions with the guest experience as a priority.
• Strong people leadership: Builds trust, develops managers, maintains accountability, and creates a culture of consistent execution.

Important:

This is an on-site, hands-on operating position. It is not a remote, office-based, or strategy-only leadership role.