Director of New Restaurant Openings

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Project Management

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of all new Urban Egg restaurant openings.
• Develop and manage detailed opening timelines, critical path schedules, milestone meetings, and opening checklists.
• Partner with real estate and construction teams to align on build-out progress, site readiness, and critical path schedules
• Review and approve, in coordination with leadership, the vetting and selection of all opening-related equipment and smallwares.
• Identify and escalate risks or delays early to maintain opening dates and budget integrity.

Team Training & Onboarding

• Oversee the development and delivery of pre-opening training programs for new restaurant teams.
• Ensure all team members are properly onboarded and trained in Urban Egg brand values, guest service standards, food safety, and operational procedures.
• Recruit, manage, and coach opening support teams, trainers, and traveling GMs and RMs, ensuring consistency in training delivery and culture.
• Coordinate training schedules in alignment with construction milestones, inspections, and soft opening timelines.

Operational Readiness

• Coordinate with supply chain, IT, facilities, and vendors to ensure each location is fully equipped and operationally sound by opening day.
• Conduct pre-opening audits to verify readiness in areas such as kitchen operations, service flow, POS systems, and cleanliness.
• Partner with Operations to ensure service simulations, proper line checks between FOH and BOH, and mock runs are executed prior to opening.
• Ensure all inspections and licenses are secured in collaboration with Development and local municipalities.

Brand Consistency & Customer Experience

• Ensure new locations reflect our brand vision and hospitality standards, delivering exceptional guest experiences from day one.
• Support in executing grand opening events and local marketing activations.
• Serve as the point person for ensuring seamless alignment between the physical space, the team, and the guest experience at opening.

Post-Opening Support & Performance Monitoring

• Stay engaged in the first 2-4 weeks post-opening to assess performance, resolve issues, and implement improvements.
• Analyze KPIs (sales, labor, food cost, guest feedback, SLEBITDA) to gauge early success and make recommendations for operational enhancement.
• Debrief cross-functional team post-opening to document lessons learned and improve future openings.

Qualifications

• 2 years of General Manager experience in fast-casual or a full-service concept.
• 2 years leading new unit openings at a regional or national level.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and complex projects under tight timelines.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Experience with training program development and rollout.
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 70%) during openings.
• Passion for hospitality and a hands-on approach to leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scaling a high-growth restaurant concept.
• Familiarity with breakfast or daytime-only full-service dining operations.
• Knowledge of restaurant construction and permitting processes.
• Proficiency in tools like Microsoft Project, Asana, Smartsheet’s, or other project management platforms.