This is not a business looking for someone to simply manage what already exists.

It is looking for an exceptional operator to help build what comes next.

One of Australia's established and rapidly growing multi-site restaurant businesses is entering a significant new phase of expansion. With approximately 50 locations currently operating across a combination of corporate and franchise ownership, the business has ambitious plans for continued national growth.

To help lead that journey, we are searching for an outstanding Chief Operating Officer.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will take ownership of the operational performance of the business while building the leadership capability, structure and operating platform required for its next stage of growth.

This is a genuine executive leadership opportunity with significant influence over the future direction and performance of the organisation.

The Opportunity

At its heart, this is a people-led performance role.

You will be accountable for delivering company EBITDA, but the expectation isn't that this is achieved simply through reacting to a spreadsheet.

It will come through building outstanding leaders, creating disciplined and consistently high-performing operations, growing sales, improving restaurant economics and delivering customer experiences that keep people coming back.

You will inherit a substantial existing network – but your bigger challenge will be preparing it for what comes next.

As the business enters its next phase of growth, you will help determine what the future operating structure looks like, what capability needs to be built and how the organisation scales without losing the culture, customer experience or commercial discipline that made it successful in the first place.

What You'll Own

Your remit will include

- Overall operational performance and delivery of company EBITDA.
- Performance across both corporate and franchised locations.
- Restaurant-level profitability and P&L; performance.
- Sales and same-store sales growth.
- Labour optimisation, productivity, COGS and controllable costs.
- Customer experience, service and operational standards.
- Leadership and development of the senior operations and field teams.
- Franchisee performance, engagement and profitability.




- Organisational capability and succession planning.
- Operational readiness for significant network expansion.
- New restaurant openings and successful integration into the network.
- Building scalable systems, processes and operating disciplines.
- Working alongside the CEO and executive team to deliver the broader growth strategy.

You'll have the opportunity to influence not only how the business operates today, but how it needs to operate as it continues to scale.

Who We're Looking For

This search is deliberately specific.

We are looking for a senior operator who has built their career in QSR, fast casual or casual dining, and who understands the operational complexity of running a large restaurant network.

Just as importantly, you will need meaningful franchise experience.

This is a mixed corporate and franchised network, so the successful person must understand the difference between directly leading company-owned operations and influencing independent franchise partners to deliver strong commercial, operational and customer outcomes.

You may currently be a:

- Chief Operating Officer
- Operations Director
- General Manager – Operations
- National Operations Director
- Head of Operations

You could also be an exceptional senior operator from a larger QSR or restaurant group who is ready to step into full COO accountability.

What matters most is that you have operated at significant scale and can demonstrate that you have:

- Led a substantial multi-site QSR, rapid casual or casual dining network.
- Worked extensively within a franchise operating model.
- Held genuine P&L; and commercial accountability.
- Delivered EBITDA and improved restaurant-level profitability.
- Driven sales growth alongside disciplined cost control.
- Managed labour, COGS, productivity and operating margins.
- Built and developed high-performing operational leadership teams.




- Influenced and partnered effectively with franchisees.
- Created accountability across geographically dispersed teams.
- Led businesses through significant growth, transformation or network expansion.
- Built systems, structures and operating disciplines capable of supporting scale.
- Maintained a strong connection with restaurant operations, customers and frontline teams.

This is not a role for someone looking to move into hospitality from a different multi-site sector.

The successful candidate needs to understand the realities of high-volume restaurant operations: the pace, labour model, food cost pressures, customer expectations, franchise relationships and relentless focus on consistent execution.

The Leadership Style

We're looking for someone who can move comfortably between an executive meeting and a restaurant floor.

Someone who can discuss EBITDA, labour, margin and growth strategy at 9am – and then walk into a restaurant at lunchtime and quickly understand what's working, what isn't and why.

You'll be commercially sharp, highly accountable and comfortable with data, but you'll fundamentally understand that sustainable performance is delivered through people.

You'll build strong leaders rather than creating dependency.

You'll set high standards without creating unnecessary complexity.

You'll be visible, pragmatic and prepared to challenge the status quo.

And you'll be excited by the opportunity to build, rather than simply maintain.

Why This Role?

There aren't many COO opportunities where the mandate is this clear.

A substantial existing network.

A significant growth agenda.

Corporate and franchise operations.

Direct partnership with the CEO.

Significant influence over the future operating model.

$260,000 superannuation bonus.

Potential longer-term options.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to put your fingerprints on the next chapter of a significant Australian growth business.

If you've led a major QSR, fast casual or casual dining operation, understand franchising and are excited by the opportunity to help build the next stage of a growing restaurant business, we'd like to hear from you.

All applications and enquiries will be treated in strict confidence.

📌 Chief Operating Officer | High-Growth Multi-Site Casual Dining (Sydney)
🏢 Dillamore Recruitment Group
📍 Sydney