Restaurant Specialist

Guthrie’s Chicken

Job Description – Restaurant Opening Specialist

$60,000.00/yr - $70,000.00/yr

Annual Bonus

This role is critical to Guthrie’s growth and success. The Restaurant Opening Specialist serves as the primary point of accountability during the most crucial phase of each new restaurant’s life cycle. This is a highly hands‑on role requiring extensive travel and long hours during openings and also offers the opportunity to directly shape the success of our brand as we expand into new markets.

Supervision Received and Exercised

• Reports directly to the Director of Training and Head of Operations.
• Exercises direct supervision of trainers and restaurant staff during openings.

Essential duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Take ownership of new restaurant openings from pre‑opening preparation through stabilization, ensuring each location launches successfully.
• Collaborate with District Managers and Facilities Managers in the months leading up to a new restaurant opening.
• Lead orientation and training days, as well as teams of trainers, throughout the opening weeks.
• Coordinate closely with District Managers and Restaurant General Managers to ensure operational standards are executed at the highest level.
• Exhibit, cultivate, and enforce a sense of pride and relentless commitment to each step of preparing Guthrie’s menu items for service.
• Provide on‑site leadership during opening periods, often working extended hours to support staff, troubleshoot challenges, and deliver a strong start.
• Monitor and advise on the operational “health” of each new restaurant for several months following opening, ensuring consistency and continuous improvement.
• Generate excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment toward company objectives.
• Maintain flexibility to perform duties above and beyond this description as business needs evolve.

Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following:

• Walking, standing, or sitting for extended periods of time.
• Lifting a minimum of 50 lbs. overhead.

Maintain effective audio‑visual discrimination and perception needed for:

• Making observations.
• Communicating with others.
• Reading and writing.

Compensation Classification

Exempt

Position Requirements

• Ability to work long and intensive shifts, especially during restaurant openings.
• Willingness and ability to travel 75–100% of the time to support openings across all assigned markets.
• Must maintain a flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Completion of in‑store training program.
• Subject to background check.
• Must possess a valid state‑issued driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Working Conditions

• Restaurant environment: Work with advanced kitchen and front‑of‑house operational equipment, including deep fryers.
• Office environment: Work with computers and office equipment.
• Essential job functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for standing, walking, or sitting for prolonged periods of time.

Not Applicable

Full‑time

Project Management and Training

Industries

Restaurants

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