Area Director

The Area Director is responsible for leading and supporting the performance of up to 8 Five Guys restaurants to achieve operational excellence, strong financial results, and an outstanding customer experience. This role partners closely with the Director of Operations, the Talent Director, and the Training Director to uphold the Five Guys standards of quality, service, and cleanliness while developing exceptional leaders and teams.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on operator, strong coach, and values-driven leader who inspires others through example and accountability.

Key Responsibilities:

Extraordinary Operations

• Lead day-to-day operations across the area Five Guys locations, ensuring consistency in execution, food quality, speed of service, and brand representation.
• Conduct regular restaurant visits to observe operations, coach teams, and verify compliance with Wholesome and Five Guys brand standards.
• Drive excellence in food safety, cleanliness, and facility maintenance.
• Partner with General Managers to identify operational challenges and implement effective solutions.

People Development

• Recruit, train, and develop General Managers, Assistant Managers and Shift Leaders, building a strong leadership pipeline for growth and expansion, maintaining minimum staffing levels for operational excellence (as set by the VP, DO and COO).
• Promote the company culture - emphasizing joy, integrity, excellence, growth, candor, teamwork, and accountability - across all restaurants.
• Foster high employee engagement and retention through coaching, recognition, and performance management.

Financial Leadership

• Deliver exceptional restaurant financial performance, including increasing sales, hitting labor target, achieving budgeted cost of goods sold, and minimizing controllable expenses.
• Review and analyze P&L statements with General Managers, setting action plans for improvement.
• Support the budgeting and forecasting process, aligning operational goals with company financial targets.

Guest Experience

• Achieve results in the top 10% on the Blended Index, with 0 stores in the "red."
• Champion the Five Guys customer experience by ensuring every order meets the company's uncompromising standards for quality and service.
• Review customer feedback and ensure resolution of any issues within 24 hours.
• Reinforce a hospitality-first mindset at every level of the organization.

Strategic Leadership

• Execute company initiatives, limited-time offers, and new processes with precision and consistency.
• Achieve deliverables within the strategic plan.
• Collaborate with the Head of Five Guys Division, the Director of Training, and the Director of Operations to support teams on strategic planning and long-term operational improvements.
• Serve as the communication bridge between restaurant operations and corporate functions such as HR, Finance, and Training.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of progressive General Manager experience preferably in fast-casual or QSR environments, 2+ years multi unit experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing teams of 8 or more individuals and 5+ locations.
• Strong financial acumen with experience analyzing P&L statements and managing budgets of up to $40 million.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Deep understanding of Five Guys operations, systems, and brand standards.
• Proficiency in Restaurant365, scheduling tools, and restaurant management systems.
• Ability to travel 90% of the time throughout assigned markets.

Core Competencies:

• Leadership & People Development
• Financial & Analytical Skills
• Operational Execution
• Customer-Focused Mindset
• Integrity & Accountability
• Strategic Thinking

Accountabilities:

• Same store sales growth
• Blended Index - Secret Shops, Steritech, Customer Complaints, Problem Experience, CSat, etc
• Financial Targets - deliver budgeted EBITDA(PACE)
• Minimum Staffing Levels