Chief Operating Officer - Restaurants

About This Role

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER - RESTAURANTS

DRIVE STRATEGIC GROWTH AND BRAND EXPANSION

LEAD HIGH VOLUME, MULTI-SITE RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

BASED IN UAE

Food People are currently looking for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to join a well-established restaurant group in the UAE. This role is suited to a hands-on, commercially driven leader who can optimise current operations while driving the strategic growth and evolution of the brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee day-to-day operations across multiple restaurant locations, ensuring consistency and excellence in performance.
• Drive business performance across revenue, profitability, and operational KPIs.
• Develop and implement strategic growth plans, including expansion, new concepts, and brand evolution.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance overall business performance.
• Elevate service standards across all locations, ensuring a best-in-class guest experience.
• Lead, mentor, and develop large, multi-layered teams, building a high-performance culture.
• Collaborate with senior leadership on long-term vision, budgeting, and business planning.
• Analyse financial and operational data to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Champion innovation across the business, keeping the brand relevant and competitive within the market.
• Work closely with marketing and brand teams to ensure alignment between operations and customer experience.

Key Ingredients

• Proven experience in a senior operational leadership role within the restaurant or hospitality sector.
• Strong background in high-volume, casual dining environments.
• Extensive UAE experience is essential, with a deep understanding of the local market.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large teams across multiple sites.
• Commercially astute, with a track record of driving revenue growth and profitability.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate both strategically and operationally.
• Experience in scaling or growing established brands.
• Strong focus on service excellence and customer experience.
• Ability to innovate and evolve concepts to remain competitive.
• Excellent stakeholder management and leadership skills.

Please note, only candidates with relevant experience will be contacted to discuss the position in more detail.