DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Confidential High-Volume Restaurant | New Haven Area, Connecticut
Position Overview
Confidential Restaurant - New Haven Area is seeking an accomplished Director of Operations to provide senior-level leadership and oversight of a high-volume restaurant generating over $15 million in annual sales.
This individual's primary responsibility is to lead, manage, and continually improve the restaurant operation. The Director of Operations will work directly with ownership and serve as a senior operational leader responsible for ensuring that the restaurant performs at the highest level financially, operationally, and from a guest-experience standpoint.
This is a hands-on executive leadership position requiring an individual who can steer the ship, develop a strong management team, establish accountability, improve systems, and ensure that a complex, high-volume restaurant operates consistently and profitably.
Approximately 90% of the position is focused on restaurant operations and leadership.
As the restaurant continues to grow, the Director will also assist ownership with major capital improvements and expansion projects. Experience with restaurant construction, renovations, build-outs, or new openings is highly desirable but is secondary to demonstrated restaurant operating experience.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES Restaurant Operations - Primary Focus
· Provide executive-level oversight of front-of-house operations.
· Provide executive-level oversight of back-of-house operations.
· Oversee bar and beverage operations, private dining and events.
· Oversee purchasing, inventory controls, staffing and scheduling.
· Maintain facilities, safety, regulatory compliance, and operating systems.
· Protect and continually improve the guest experience.
· Establish clear expectations and hold managers accountable for consistent results.
Financial Performance
Take ownership of the operating performance of a restaurant generating over $15 million in annual sales.
· Annual operating budgets and revenue performance
· Labor costs and productivity
· Food and beverage costs
· Purchasing and inventory
· Waste and loss prevention
· Operating expenses and capital expenditures
· Overall profitability
The Director must have a strong understanding of restaurant financial statements and the ability to translate P&L results into specific operating actions. Develop weekly and monthly operating scorecards so ownership and management can clearly measure performance against established goals.
Leadership & Management Development
Lead, mentor, develop, and hold accountable the restaurant's management team. Create a management structure in which every major area of the restaurant has clear ownership, expectations, and measurable performance standards.
· Management recruitment and training
· Performance evaluations and leadership development
· Succession planning and employee retention
· Department accountability
· Communication between ownership and management
A major objective is to develop a strong, self-sufficient management organization capable of successfully operating the restaurant without ownership becoming involved in routine day-to-day issues.
Operational Excellence
Continuously evaluate the restaurant and identify opportunities to improve service, food execution, guest satisfaction, labor productivity, purchasing, cost controls, management effectiveness, employee training, communication, maintenance, technology, and operating procedures.
The Director should be proactive rather than reactive - identifying potential problems before they negatively affect the business.
Guest Experience & Standards
Protect and strengthen the guest experience that has made Confidential Restaurant - New Haven Area successful. Ensure that service, hospitality, food quality, cleanliness, atmosphere, and management presence consistently meet the restaurant's standards.
The Director should maintain a strong presence throughout the operation and understand what is happening in the restaurant rather than managing exclusively from an office.
GROWTH & CAPITAL PROJECTS - SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY
Approximately 10% of the position will involve assisting ownership with major restaurant improvements, capital projects, and expansion.
The Director of Operations will work with ownership and the project team to provide the restaurant operations perspective throughout the project.
· Working with architects and contractors
· Reviewing restaurant workflow
· Kitchen and bar functionality
· Equipment requirements and operational layout
· Construction coordination and project scheduling
· Pre-opening planning, staffing, training, and opening execution
The Director is not being hired primarily as a construction manager. However, previous experience with restaurant construction, renovations, expansions, or new restaurant openings would be a significant advantage.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Work directly with ownership to help determine the future direction of the restaurant and identify opportunities to strengthen revenue, profitability, management structure, operating efficiency, guest experience, employee retention, purchasing leverage, private events, beverage operations, technology, facilities, and long-term growth.
The Director should bring the discipline, structure, and leadership necessary to successfully manage an operation of this size while preparing the business for its next stage of growth.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
· 10+ years of progressive restaurant leadership experience
· Significant experience as a Director of Operations, Managing Partner, General Manager, Regional Director, or comparable senior restaurant leader
· Demonstrated success operating a high-volume restaurant or restaurant group
· Strong P&L and financial management experience
· Proven ability to manage labor, food, beverage, and operating costs
· Experience leading large management and hourly teams
· Strong purchasing and inventory-control knowledge
· Exceptional leadership and communication skills
· Ability to establish accountability throughout an organization
· Strong understanding of hospitality and guest experience
· Ability to work directly and effectively with ownership
Preferred Experience
Strong preference will be given to candidates who have personally managed restaurant operations producing $10 million to $15 million+ in annual sales.
Experience with restaurant construction, major renovations, expansions, or new restaurant openings is preferred but not required.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
· Take ownership of the day-to-day restaurant operation
· Build a strong and accountable management team
· Improve financial and operational reporting
· Establish measurable labor, food, and beverage cost targets
· Strengthen purchasing and inventory controls
· Improve management development and employee retention
· Maintain exceptional food, service, and hospitality standards
· Reduce the number of routine operational issues requiring ownership involvement
· Identify opportunities to increase revenue and profitability
· Help ownership successfully integrate the new patio into the existing restaurant operation
· Position Confidential Restaurant - New Haven Area for continued long-term growth
THE MISSION
Lead and protect a restaurant generating over $15 million in annual sales while building the management structure, financial discipline, operating systems, and leadership necessary to take Confidential Restaurant - New Haven Area through its next stage of growth.
The Director of Operations must first and foremost be an exceptional restaurant operator and leader. Construction and development experience is an additional asset - not the primary purpose of the position.
Pay: $100,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
