Operations Manager

I’m working with a rapidly growing restaurant group that is looking to appoint an experienced Operations Manager to take full ownership of a portfolio of locations within London.

This is a senior, field-based operational leadership role with genuine autonomy and accountability. My client is looking for someone who can lead multiple restaurant teams, drive commercial performance, develop strong leaders and deliver consistently high operational standards across the area.

You’ll be responsible for the overall performance of your restaurants, including sales growth, profitability, people development, recruitment, operational execution and new restaurant growth.

The Role

As Operations Manager, you’ll have full responsibility for the commercial and operational performance of your territory.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Taking ownership of restaurant financial performance, including EBITDAR, forecasting, budgeting, sales, costs and profitability
• Building and executing operational plans across multiple locations
• Reviewing restaurant performance and identifying opportunities to improve sales, productivity and profitability
• Leading, coaching and developing Restaurant Managers and senior leadership teams
• Identifying leadership and staffing requirements across the area and supporting the selection of senior restaurant managers
• Holding restaurant leadership teams accountable for operational standards and performance
• Conducting regular restaurant visits and operational audits, implementing improvements where required
• Ensuring company policies, procedures and compliance standards are consistently delivered across all locations
• Leading restaurants to deliver high-performing, best-in-class operations
• Creating a strong culture of accountability, recognition and continuous improvement
• Managing external suppliers and vendor relationships where required
• Ensuring restaurant leadership teams receive the appropriate training, coaching and support to succeed

Working With the Wider Business

You’ll work closely with specialist teams across marketing, recruitment, training and growth to ensure each restaurant has the support required to perform.

This will include:

• Identifying performance gaps and directing additional support into restaurants where required
• Developing local marketing and community engagement strategies
• Working with training teams to improve underperforming locations and support operational rollouts
• Partnering with recruitment teams to build effective hiring strategies across the area
• Ensuring the right resources are allocated to attract, recruit and onboard high-quality restaurant teams
• Leading regular business reviews and ensuring clear action plans are in place
• Providing feedback to senior and functional leadership teams on restaurant systems, tools, processes and support
• Identifying operational challenges and escalating wider business issues where appropriate

What I’m Looking For

My client is looking for an established multi-site operator who is equally comfortable looking at the bigger commercial picture and getting into the detail of individual restaurant performance.

You’ll ideally have:

• 4+ years of experience within the restaurant industry
• Proven multi‑unit restaurant or retail leadership experience
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing sales, costs, budgets and profitability
• A track record of leading and developing high‑performing management teams
• Strong analytical and decision‑making skills
• Excellent organisation and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment
• A hands‑on, action‑oriented leadership style
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively with wider support teams
• A strong focus on standards, accountability and measurable results
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with restaurant‑level execution
• Flexibility to work around the needs of the business, including occasional evenings and weekends
• The ability to travel regularly across the assigned territory
• Confidence using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• A valid driver’s licence

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a strong opportunity for an experienced multi‑site restaurant leader to join an ambitious and rapidly expanding business where you’ll have real ownership of your territory.

You’ll have the autonomy to influence performance, build strong restaurant leadership teams and play an important role in the continued growth of the organisation.

If you’re a commercially minded, people‑focused operator who enjoys building high‑performing teams and driving results across multiple locations, I’d be keen to speak with you.