VP of Operations & Franchise Development

Description

Founded in 1965, Gold Star has grown to become one of Greater Cincinnati’s most recognizable and iconic brands. As part of GSR Brands, Gold Star is proud of its Cincinnati roots, its commitment to craveable food and genuine hospitality, and its Service Promise: “To Make You Feel Like Family.”

We are focused on strengthening our restaurants, supporting our franchise partners, and growing the brand while staying true to the relationships and experiences that have made Gold Star special for generations.

Position Summary 

The Vice President of Operations & Franchise Development is a key member of the executive leadership team responsible for the performance, leadership, and growth of company-owned and franchised restaurant operations.

This position provides strategic leadership across restaurant operations, franchisee support, field leadership, operational standards, guest experience, new restaurant openings, and system growth. The Vice President of Operations & Franchise Development  is a visible advocate and driver of the company’s Service Promise strategy, building a culture of hospitality and ensuring an exceptional guest experience is consistently delivered throughout the system.

The role also serves as a trusted business partner to franchisees and company operators and works closely with the CEO to identify and develop franchisees capable of supporting the long-term growth of the brands.

Essential Responsibilities

Operations & Restaurant Performance

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for company-owned and franchised restaurant operations.
• Develop and execute strategies that improve sales, profitability, staffing, hospitality, guest experience, and operational execution.
• Champion the company’s Service Promise strategy, ensuring hospitality expectations are understood and consistently demonstrated by field leaders, operators, franchisees, and restaurant teams.
• Translate company priorities into clear goals, expectations, and accountability throughout the Operations organization.
• Establish and monitor key operating and financial metrics, including sales, transactions, labor, food cost, profitability, staffing, guest feedback, and restaurant execution.
• Identify underperforming restaurants, operational risks, and performance gaps and ensure effective improvement plans are developed and executed.
• Maintain a strong field presence and understanding of restaurant-level opportunities, challenges, and business conditions.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, restaurant performance analysis, capital planning, and growth opportunities.
• Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team on annual planning, organizational priorities, and long-term business strategy.

Franchisee Leadership & Development

• Build strong, productive relationships with franchisees based on trust, transparency, accountability, and shared business goals.
• Serve as a senior business advisor to franchisees on restaurant performance, profitability, staffing, leadership, execution, and growth.
• Ensure franchisees consistently execute required brand standards, operating systems, programs, and Service Promise expectations.
• Identify opportunities to improve existing franchise restaurant performance and strengthen franchisee capability.
• Partner with the CEO to identify, evaluate, and develop prospective franchisees with the financial resources, leadership ability, and operational discipline necessary to grow the system.
• Develop relationships and networks that support franchise recruitment, new restaurant development, ownership transitions, and expansion into appropriate markets.
• Serve as a senior company representative to the Franchise Advisory Council and maintain open, productive communication with the franchise community.

Field Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and develop District Managers, Franchise Business Consultants, and other field Operations leaders.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability for field leadership performance.
• Develop field leaders into strong operators, coaches, business partners, and financial advisors to restaurants and franchisees.
• Build leadership capability around hospitality and the Service Promise so field leaders can effectively coach restaurant teams and create exceptional guest experiences.
• Identify high-potential talent and build succession and development plans for key Operations positions.
• Evaluate the field leadership structure as restaurant count, geography, and business needs evolve.
• Partner with Human Resources on leadership selection, development, performance management, succession planning, and employee matters within Operations.

Operational Standards & Guest Experience

• Ensure company-owned and franchised restaurants consistently execute standards for food quality, service, cleanliness, hospitality, safety, and guest experience.
• Translate the Service Promise into clear, measurable, and sustainable restaurant behaviors and evaluate its effectiveness through guest feedback, restaurant results, and field observations.
• Continuously evaluate operating procedures and systems to improve efficiency, consistency, profitability, and ease of execution.
• Monitor guest feedback and recurring concerns and engage appropriate resources to drive improvement.
• Ensure operating standards evolve with changing business conditions, technology, labor markets, and guest expectations.

New Restaurant Openings & System Growth

• Lead the operational planning and execution of new company-owned and franchise restaurant openings.
• Partner with franchisees and internal departments throughout pre-opening planning, training, opening, and post-opening stabilization.
• Ensure new restaurants are appropriately staffed, trained, equipped, and operationally prepared to deliver the Service Promise from day one.
• Participate in evaluating potential markets and growth opportunities from an operational and business perspective.
• Ensure field leadership and operational resources are positioned to support continued restaurant growth.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Training, Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, Commissary, and other departments on company initiatives.
• Provide an Operations perspective during the development and implementation of new products, promotions, technology, equipment, restaurant concepts, and system-wide programs.
• Partner with Training and Marketing to integrate Service Promise and hospitality expectations into training, recognition, communications, and restaurant initiatives.
• Ensure major initiatives are effectively tested and operationally practical before broad implementation.
• Collaborate across functions to support sales and traffic growth while ensuring corporate initiatives meet the needs of restaurant operators and franchisees.

Requirements

Our Core Values

At GSR Brands, how we lead is just as important as the results we deliver. The Vice President of Operations & Franchise Development is expected to demonstrate and reinforce our Core Values in all aspects of 

the role:

Trust | Respect | Integrity | Passion

These values guide how we work together, make decisions, lead our teams, and serve our 

restaurants, franchise partners, customers, and communities.

The Vice President of Operations & Franchise Development is expected to:

• Think strategically while remaining connected to restaurant operations and the realities of the field.
• Be a visible champion of hospitality and the Service Promise.
• Build credibility with franchisees through business knowledge, transparency, sound judgment, and follow-through.
• Hold leaders and operators accountable while maintaining productive relationships.
• Develop people and strengthen leadership capability throughout the Operations organization.
• Use financial and operational data to identify opportunities and make sound business decisions.
• Communicate clearly and effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Lead effectively through change and create clarity around priorities and expectations.
• Demonstrate strong ownership, collaboration, judgment, and follow-through.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality, Operations, Finance, Marketing, or a related field preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive multi-unit restaurant leadership experience preferred, including senior-level leadership within a franchised restaurant, hospitality, retail, or similar multi-unit environment.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing multi-unit field Operations teams.
• Experience working directly with franchisees and independently owned operators strongly preferred.
• Experience in franchise development, business development, restaurant growth, market development, or franchise recruitment highly desirable.
• Demonstrated success developing or leading hospitality and guest experience strategies that produced measurable improvements in service, culture, or business performance.
• Demonstrated experience improving restaurant sales, profitability, operational performance, and guest satisfaction.
• Experience supporting new restaurant openings and system growth preferred.
• Strong understanding of restaurant financial performance, P&L management, and key operating metrics.
• Strong strategic thinking, leadership, communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence others and lead effectively through change.