Position Overview
The Director of Operations is the executive operational leader responsible for building, scaling, and protecting Taste Buds Kitchen’s core franchise operating engine as we expand from 25 to 50+ units. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role bridges corporate strategy with unit-level execution. You will lead the operations department to ensure our franchise network operates as a cohesive, high-performing system designed for maximum franchisee profitability, operational consistency, brand standards, and rapid unit growth.
In this role, you will direct a growing operations team, architect field coaching models to drive sales and profitability, govern new studio opening (NSO) execution, manage enterprise vendor and supply chain brand partnerships, ensure operational compliance, and maintain strong, trust-based relationships across our franchisee network.
Key Responsibilities
1. Team Leadership, Field Architecture & Financial Benchmarking
- Operational Leadership: Direct and mentor the corporate operations team (Operations Systems Specialist, Franchise Business Coaches, and Culinary Lead) to maintain a cohesive, support-driven culture focused on franchisee success.
- Field Support Architecture: Design and scale our regional field coaching model as our footprint grows; establish studio-visit cadences, audit standards, and business-consulting playbooks that transition field support from simple compliance to strategic financial coaching.
- Financial Benchmarking & Unit Economics: Leverage monthly P&Ls and our system scorecard to rigorously analyze unit-level economics across all locations. Use this data to drive proactive coaching and lead targeted operational interventions to improve studio margins and protect overall network health.
- Learning & Development (L&D) & Franchise Training Program Governance: Oversee and direct our overall Learning & Development (L&D) framework for franchise owners and studio teams. Guide the Franchise Business Coach (wearing the L&D Architect hat) to build, refine, and measure the effectiveness of initial owner training (TBK University), manager onboarding, staff curriculum, and ongoing operational coaching.
- Cross-Functional Marketing Alignment: Partner closely with the Head of Marketing to ensure operational readiness for national marketing campaigns, localized franchisee toolkits, and promotional rollouts at the studio level.
2. Operational Strategy, Process Systems & Supply Chain
- Operational Architecture: Establish, evaluate, and continuously refine the operational standards, platforms, and operating manuals that govern daily studio operations.
- Supply Chain & Vendor Brand Partnerships: Build and manage strategic relationships with national supply chain partners, equipment manufacturers, broadline distributors, and operational vendors to secure volume pricing, maintain brand quality standards, and optimize unit-level economics across all studios.
- Unit-Level Execution Frameworks: Translate brand strategy into clear, executable operational frameworks that simplify studio operations for multi-unit operators, general managers, and studio teams across the franchise system.
- SOP & System Governance: Direct the Operations Systems Specialist to ensure all brand manuals, training materials, and Operandio workflows reflect current operational best practices and brand standards.
3. NSO Governance & Strategic Rollouts
- New Studio Opening (NSO) Execution: Own operational readiness and soft/grand opening execution for 15–20 new studio launches over the next 18 months, managing the formal operational hand-off from onboarding to sustained field support.
- Master Rollout Scheduling: Set the annual and quarterly rollout calendar for all new operational initiatives, technology updates, vendor transitions, and program/menu launches.
- Cross-Functional Execution: Oversee rollout workflows across Operations, Culinary, Systems, and Marketing to ensure seamless execution from corporate kickoff to studio-level adoption.
- Post-Launch Evaluation: Track system-wide adoption rates, franchisee feedback, and ROI and operational metrics for all major updates, using data to refine future launch playbooks.
4. Franchisee Relations & Multi-Unit Capacity
- Multi-Unit Capacity Evaluation: Evaluate operational capacity and studio performance for existing multi-unit operators prior to approving additional studio development.
- Policy Communication & Compliance: Clearly communicate corporate policies, system modifications, and compliance expectations to the network, balancing firm brand enforcement with empathy and support.
- Escalation & Dispute Resolution: Act as the senior escalation point for complex franchisee relations issues, working constructively with franchise owners to resolve operational hurdles and protect brand integrity.
Performance Metrics (KPIs)
- Network Financial Performance: System-wide Same-Studio Sales (SSS) growth and average franchisee unit-level profitability.
- NSO On-Time Execution: Opening 15–20 planned units on schedule and meeting 90-day post-opening operational and financial benchmarks.
- Initiative Adoption Rate: Percentage of studio-level adoption and compliance on key corporate rollouts within designated timeframes.
- System Compliance & Studio Health: Average system-wide audit scores and percentage of studios meeting operational brand standards.
- Learning & Development (L&D) & Training Effectiveness: System-wide completion rates, franchisee post-training comprehension scores, and operational ramp times for new studio teams.
- Franchisee Satisfaction & Retention: Overall franchisee sentiment, Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) alignment, and network health metrics.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Experience: 5+ years of progressive leadership in multi-unit operations, with at least 3–5 years leading operations within a fast-growing franchise system (prior experience navigating the 20-to-50 unit growth scaling phase highly preferred).
- Proven Track Record: Success leading corporate field teams, managing broadline distributor relationships, driving franchisee unit-level profitability, and executing high-volume New Studio Openings (NSOs).
- Leadership & Influence: Outstanding leadership, executive communication, and negotiation skills—capable of inspiring corporate team members while building deep trust with independent franchise business owners.
- Financial & Business Acumen: Fluency in P&Ls, Prime Cost management, and unit economics benchmarking.
- Strategic & Process Mindset: Ability to toggle seamlessly between high-level operational strategy, supply chain management, and tactical execution oversight.
- Work Model: Hybrid (2-3 days in-person at Corporate HQ in Chester, MD)
- Travel: Willingness to travel up to 25–35% for site visits, new studio openings, regional franchisee meetings, and team alignment.
Benefits & Perks
- Salary: Commensurate with multi-unit/franchise growth experience + Performance Bonus potential
- Health & Wealth: Comprehensive Health Insurance & 401(k) with company match
- Balance: Unlimited PTO, family-first culture, and free cooking classes!
- Impact: Executive leadership role shaping operational strategy and unit economics as a national franchise brand grows its footprint.
About Us
Taste Buds Kitchen has taken the country by storm with a refreshingly simple concept. We provide culinary entertainment to kids, families and adults in a fun, beautiful and state-of-the art Kitchen Studio. Kids ages 2 to teen love our hands-on cooking classes, camps, birthday parties and field trips. Adults love our byob date night cooking classes, birthday parties, bachelorettes, showers and corporate events. Our innovative programs are as entertaining as they are educational. We always strive to engage and delight our guests.
Job Opportunities
We have incredible career opportunities in each of our growing Kitchen Studios nationwide, as well as our corporate office. Get involved in an exciting and growing company. We are always looking for dynamic talent to join our fun-loving and hard-working team! Perfect for culinary professionals, passionate foodies, teachers, managers, administrators, marketers and college and high school students alike.