Restaurant Chief Operations Leader

Recruiting Partner: Ghali Asad

Westfield, New Jersey | Food & Beverage & Lodging | Not Remote | $175,000 to $250,000 | Job ID: 151166

Job Summary

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Our client is a family-owned restaurant group with locations in Staten Island, NY, and Morristown, NJ, known for their artisanal pizzas, homemade meatballs, and premium steaks cooked in high-temperature ovens. They’ve built a loyal following thanks to their incredible food, casual atmosphere, and community roots. Now, they’re ready to grow into something even bigger and more refined.

As the Chief Operations Leader, you’ll lead this exciting transformation. Your mission is to take everything that makes this restaurant group special—the welcoming vibe, the amazing food, and the family atmosphere—and elevate it to a new level. You’ll oversee service and operational improvements, help refine the brand, and lay the groundwork for expansion into new cities.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact, shaping the future of a restaurant group that’s proud of its roots but ready for growth. If you’re a visionary leader with a proven track record in multi-unit management, team development, and expansion strategy, this role is for you.

What You Need to Succeed as Chief Operations Leader:

  • Steakhouse and Operational Expertise: Hands-on experience in steakhouse restaurant groups, with knowledge of front-of-house and back-of-house operations. Familiarity with artisanal pizzas and Italian dishes is a strong plus.
  • Growth Leadership and Strategic Vision: Proven ability to expand restaurant groups, open new locations, and align daily operations with long-term brand and growth strategies.
  • Multi-Unit Management: Success overseeing multiple restaurant locations, ensuring consistent quality and operational excellence.
  • Team Building and Hands-On Leadership: Strong ability to hire, train, and mentor teams, creating a culture of accountability and collaboration while leading by example.

What You’ll Do as Chief Operations Leader:

  • Elevate Service and Team Culture: Train staff to deliver refined service while working with kitchen and front-of-house teams to ensure exceptional food quality, polished ambiance, and memorable guest experiences.
  • Oversee Growth and Operations: Manage daily operations across locations and build scalable systems to ensure smooth workflows and consistency as the group expands.
  • Lead and Develop Teams: Recruit, train, and mentor managers and staff while fostering collaboration, excellence, and career growth opportunities to retain top talent.
  • Drive Expansion: Identify and assess new market opportunities, conduct site evaluations, and lead new restaurant openings to ensure operational readiness and brand consistency.
  • Promote the Brand: Collaborate with marketing teams to develop strategies that align with the group’s evolving brand and expansion goals. Represent the brand at events to strengthen visibility and reputation.
  • Drive Financial Success: Manage budgets, track KPIs, and optimize costs to achieve financial goals while maintaining exceptional quality and guest experiences.

Ready for Your Next Move?

This is your chance to step into a key leadership role with a growing restaurant group passionate about great food, memorable experiences, and building a standout brand. If you’re a hands-on leader with the vision, expertise, and drive to elevate operations and lead a team through growth and expansion, we want to hear from you.

Don’t miss this opportunity to shape the future of an exceptional restaurant group—apply now!

At Goodwin Recruiting we are committed to our core values. We take our value, Dedicated to Diversity & Inclusion, very seriously and will never discriminate against a candidate or client based on any protected classes. Our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or arrest or conviction record has no bearing on whether he, she, or they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.

 

JOB ID: 151166

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Ghali Asad

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Additional Information

At Goodwin Recruiting we are committed to our core values. We take our value, Dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, very seriously and will never discriminate against a candidate or client based on any protected classes. Our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or arrest or conviction record has no bearing on whether he, she, or they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.

Ghali Asad

Senior Recruiting Partner

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Additional Information

At Goodwin Recruiting we are committed to our core values. We take our value, Dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, very seriously and will never discriminate against a candidate or client based on any protected classes. Our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or arrest or conviction record has no bearing on whether he, she, or they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.

Ghali Asad

Senior Recruiting Partner