Restaurant Operations Consultant (Applebee’s)

Dine Brands Global; Michigan; On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Dine Brands Global, based in Pasadena, California, seeks an Applebee's and IHOP Field Operations Consultant to partner with franchise owners and leadership teams to enhance sales, profitability, guest satisfaction, and brand execution across markets.

The role requires analyzing financial and operational metrics, identifying opportunities, coaching operators, and developing SMART action plans while supporting rollout of brand initiatives and national campaigns.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5+ years of full-service restaurant management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Hospitality, Restaurant Management, or a related field preferred.
• Strong analytical and data-analysis skills with ability to interpret performance metrics.

Responsibilities

• Analyze financial, operational, guest experience, and people metrics using key performance indicators.
• Identify performance opportunities and develop action plans to drive sustainable growth.
• Evaluate restaurant operations, guest experience, food quality, service standards, and brand alignment.
• Coach franchise operators and leaders on best practices and execution excellence.
• Prepare clear consultation reports for franchise and company leadership.

Skills

Restaurant operations

Analytical thinking

Coaching & mentorship

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Hospitality

Job description

Based in Pasadena, California, Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries and franchisees, supports and operates restaurants under the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP®, and Fuzzy's Taco Shop® brands. As of December 28, 2025, these three brands consisted of over 3,500 restaurants across 20 international markets. Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world and in 2022 expanded into the Fast Casual segment. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website located at www.dinebrands.com.

Job Location Type

Field

The Applebee's Restaurant Operations Consultant (ROC) serves as the field consultant responsible for improving franchise restaurant performance through an integrated approach to business results, operational excellence, and brand execution. The ROC partners with franchise owners, operators, and restaurant leadership teams to evaluate key performance indicators, identify opportunities, determine root causes, develop action plans, and drive sustainable business growth. The ROC combines business consulting, operational coaching, relationship management, and strategic influence to help franchisees achieve sales growth, profitability improvement, guest satisfaction, and operational excellence while supporting the successful execution of company initiatives and brand standards.

Responsibilities

• Analyze financial, operational, guest experience, and people metrics; conduct structured reviews using sales, traffic, profitability, guest satisfaction, off-premise, and other key performance indicators.
• Identify performance opportunities, recommend business-improvement strategies, establish action plans that support sustainable growth, and monitor performance trends.
• Evaluate restaurant operations, guest experience, food quality, service standards, facility conditions, and alignment with brand standards and operating procedures.
• Coach franchise operators and restaurant leaders on operational best practices and executional excellence.
• Identify and share practices and initiatives that improve consistency, restaurant performance, and guest satisfaction.
• Use business and operational data and consultative discussions to identify root causes, barriers, and opportunities.
• Develop measurable action plans and SMART goals that address identified opportunities.
• Proactively strengthen, nurture, and sustain trusted relationships with franchise owners, operators, and restaurant leadership teams, serving as a valued advisor and business partner.
• Represent Applebee's and Dine Brands with professionalism and sound judgment in all interactions.
• Support franchise execution of brand initiatives, system programs, operational enhancements, sales-driving strategies, promotions, limited-time offers, and national campaigns.
• Partner with cross-functional teams and communicate business impacts, expectations, and execution requirements for successful rollout.
• Support field tests, pilots, and implementation of new products, processes, technologies, and operating procedures.
• Gather feedback, evaluate results, and communicate insights that support successful systemwide innovation.
• Document restaurant visits, observations, business reviews, recommendations, action plans, performance outcomes, and follow-up activities.
• Prepare clear, timely consultation reports for franchise and company leadership.
• Target Salary $100k-$115k depending on experience

Skills & Requirements

• Minimum of 5+ years of full-service restaurant management experience; preferred experience in multi-unit leadership roles.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Hospitality, Restaurant Management, or a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of restaurant operations, financial analysis, business planning, and key business-performance drivers.
• Strong analytical, data-analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, including experience interpreting business and operational performance metrics.
• Strong coaching, facilitation, presentation, relationship-management, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to influence without direct authority.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and business reporting systems, operational dashboards, and business intelligence tools.
• Ability to travel up to 80% of the time.

Dine Brands Global strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act and/or other applicable laws and regulations in other jurisdictions.

Dine Brands reviews criminal history in connection with a conditional offer of employment. The following is a list of all material job duties which Dine Brands reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: implement brand standards such as food safety at all restaurants for a uniform guest experience; physically inspect restaurant premises belonging to franchisees; and facilitate frequent and close interactions with franchisees, franchisee employees, guests, and other third parties.

For information on how we collect and use your personal information, please visit our Applicant & Employee Privacy Notice.