Restaurant Operations Manager

Fresh Kitchen is a pioneering restaurant brand that is redefining the concept of "fast food" by focusing on real, wholesome food made from scratch. This forward-thinking establishment prides itself on using high-quality ingredients such as 100% pure olive oil (avoiding seed oils), hand-cut vegetables, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, responsibly sourced seafood, and even offers 100% gluten-free recipes. This commitment reflects their core philosophy of "Good Food Forever." Fresh Kitchen operates with a vision to expand significantly, aiming to establish 100 remarkable restaurants by the year 2034. They are not only deeply committed to food quality but also to fostering an exceptional people and culture experience, making this a company that values the human element as much as operational performance and food excellence.

The Restaurant Operations Manager plays a critical leadership role within Fresh Kitchen. This full-time position offers a competitive salary ranging from $65,000 to $75,000 annually. The role is centered around owning the guest experience and building a strong, high-performing front-of-house team that aligns with the brand’s elevated standards. This manager is a hands-on leader, actively coaching and engaging with staff throughout shifts to ensure every guest encounter is welcoming, efficient, and on brand.

The Restaurant Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing the front-of-house operations and general restaurant functionality, including hospitality, speed, cleanliness, energy, and recovery processes. They lead by example rather than simply supervising from a distance, setting the pace, maintaining high energy and efficiency, and driving exceptional hospitality standards at every touchpoint. This role includes managing shift execution for smooth order flow, accuracy, and seamless coordination among team members.

Additionally, this manager handles digital and off-premise orders, ensuring online and pickup experiences are integrated into the overall guest journey with precision and care. They also play a key role in fostering a strong people-centric culture through coaching, accountability, engagement, and developing future leaders within the team. Strategic labor management is also part of their duties, ensuring smart schedules and the right team deployment to maximize efficiency.

Partnership with the Managing Partner and Culinary Operations Manager is vital to maintain alignment between front and back of house, especially during peak dining periods and heavy online ordering demand. The manager is expected to confidently manage shifts, enforce food safety and brand standards, solve operational bottlenecks, and maintain a clean, welcoming environment that reflects the brand’s image consistently.

Key success indicators for this role include a consistently strong guest journey experience defined by flow, hospitality, speed, and cleanliness; a well-connected high-performing team culture; smooth integration of online ordering and catering; and confident, efficient shift management. The leadership style promotes high standards combined with high heart by coaching in the moment, remaining calm under pressure, and prioritizing brand consistency and positivity.

Fresh Kitchen seeks candidates with over four years of management experience in high-volume restaurant environments who demonstrate operational leadership and a passion for hospitality and food quality. The ideal individual will have a strong food palate, confidence in making food calls, and the ability to coach and hold teams accountable in a dynamic setting. Additional requirements include ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain it, excellent communication, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work a flexible schedule that includes nights, weekends, and holidays.

This role offers more than a job; it presents a genuine career path with intentional leadership development, affordable group health, vision, and dental plans with a 401(k) match, plus the perk of free Fresh Kitchen meals. The company culture is values-driven and focused on work-life balance, including progressive paid time off and limitations on weekly work hours to not exceed 50 hours. Staff also benefit from a brand and food they can proudly represent, plus holidays closed to enable quality family and personal time.