Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Restaurant Division

Corky’s BBQ | Memphis, Tennessee

Legendary BBQ. Legendary People.

For more than 40 years, Corky’s BBQ has been a Memphis institution known for authentic hickory-smoked barbecue, legendary hospitality, and unforgettable guest experiences. Built on a rich heritage and a culture of excellence, Corky’s has become one of the most recognized barbecue brands in the South.

Today, Corky’s is entering an exciting new chapter. While honoring the traditions and values that built our reputation, we are actively focused on growth, innovation, and expansion. We are seeking a proven restaurant executive to help lead that journey.

This is more than an operations role. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of an iconic brand.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Restaurant Division will serve as the senior operational leader responsible for driving performance, developing talent, ensuring operational excellence, and leading future restaurant growth.

This role requires a proven restaurant executive with extensive multi-unit leadership experience, a track record of managing high-volume restaurant operations, and direct experience opening and scaling new restaurant locations.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, culture builder, and hands-on operator who understands how to grow a restaurant company without sacrificing quality, consistency, hospitality, or culture.

The Opportunity

Corky’s has spent more than four decades building one of the most respected brands in barbecue.

The next chapter is about growth.

We are looking for an executive partner who can help transform Corky’s from a successful regional restaurant company into a larger multi-unit restaurant organization while preserving the legendary hospitality, food quality, and culture that have defined our success.

The right leader will have a seat at the table helping shape expansion strategy, identifying growth opportunities, developing scalable systems, and building the leadership infrastructure necessary for future restaurant development.

This is a rare opportunity to help lead and grow an iconic Southern restaurant brand with significant upside potential.

Position Summary

The COO – Restaurant Division is responsible for the overall performance, growth, profitability, leadership development, and operational execution of Corky’s restaurant operations.

Reporting directly to CEO and Owner Jimmy Stovall, this executive will oversee all restaurant operations while building the systems, processes, leadership structure, and accountability necessary to support future expansion.

This leader must be equally comfortable reviewing financial statements, coaching General Managers, visiting restaurants, leading strategic initiatives, and driving long-term growth.

The COO will serve as the operational architect behind Corky’s next phase of growth.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Expansion

• Partner directly with the CEO to establish and execute the long-term vision for restaurant operations.
• Develop and execute a multi-year growth strategy for the restaurant division.
• Evaluate opportunities for new restaurant development, market expansion, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Build the operational infrastructure required to support future restaurant openings.
• Develop scalable systems, processes, and leadership structures that allow Corky’s to grow while maintaining operational excellence.
• Lead operational due diligence and planning for future expansion opportunities.
• Create restaurant growth roadmaps, opening plans, and post-opening success strategies.
• Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team helping shape the future direction of the company.

New Restaurant Development & Openings

• Lead all operational aspects of future restaurant openings.
• Develop and execute comprehensive pre-opening plans.
• Oversee staffing, training, operational readiness, and launch execution.
• Create new store opening playbooks and systems.
• Establish performance benchmarks for newly opened locations.
• Ensure successful integration of new restaurants into Corky’s culture and operating standards.
• Drive successful openings that achieve sales, profitability, and guest satisfaction targets.

Restaurant Operations

• Provide executive oversight for all restaurant locations.
• Ensure operational consistency across all restaurants.
• Establish and enforce best practices for food quality, hospitality, cleanliness, safety, and execution.
• Conduct regular operational reviews and performance audits.
• Ensure restaurants consistently deliver legendary guest experiences.
• Drive improvements in speed of service, order accuracy, labor productivity, and guest satisfaction.

Leadership Development

• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain exceptional restaurant leaders.
• Build a deep bench of future General Managers, Area Directors, and operational leaders.
• Establish leadership development and succession planning programs.
• Conduct regular coaching, performance reviews, and leadership development sessions.
• Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Financial Leadership

• Own restaurant-level financial performance across all locations.
• Drive sustainable revenue growth and profitability.
• Analyze and improve labor productivity and workforce planning.
• Develop strategies to optimize food cost performance and reduce waste.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins without compromising quality or hospitality.
• Review and analyze P&L statements, budgets, forecasts, and operational KPIs.

Guest Experience & Brand Excellence

• Protect and strengthen the Corky’s brand.
• Ensure every guest receives consistent legendary service.
• Monitor guest satisfaction metrics, online reviews, and customer feedback.
• Lead initiatives that improve hospitality, speed, quality, and overall guest experience.
• Ensure operational consistency that reinforces Corky’s reputation as an industry leader.

Culture & Team Engagement

• Champion Corky’s Mission, Vision, and 25 Fundamentals.
• Build a culture where people are developed, challenged, recognized, and empowered.
• Lead by example through visibility, engagement, and accountability.
• Foster an environment centered on hospitality, excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Required

• 15+ years of progressive restaurant operations leadership experience.
• 7+ years in senior multi-unit leadership roles.
• Experience overseeing multiple high-volume restaurant locations.
• Proven success leading General Managers, District Managers, Area Directors, or Regional Vice Presidents.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Demonstrated success improving restaurant profitability and operational performance.
• Proven track record of building high-performing leadership teams.
• Experience creating systems and infrastructure that support growth.

Strongly Preferred

• Multiple new restaurant openings.
• Experience leading regional or national restaurant expansion.
• Experience scaling a restaurant organization.
• Experience with casual dining, fast casual, barbecue, or hospitality-driven concepts.
• Experience overseeing drive-thru, dine-in, catering, and off-premise sales channels.
• Multi-state operational leadership experience.
• Experience leading organizations through periods of rapid growth.

Key Performance Indicators

Financial Performance

• Revenue Growth
• EBITDA Growth
• Restaurant Profitability
• Labor Cost Performance
• Food Cost Performance
• Prime Cost Management

Operations

• Guest Satisfaction Scores
• Online Review Ratings
• Health Department Scores
• Speed of Service
• Order Accuracy
• Catering Growth

People

• General Manager Retention
• Leadership Bench Strength
• Employee Turnover
• Internal Promotions
• Training Completion
• Leadership Development Progress

Growth

• Successful Restaurant Openings
• New Unit Performance
• Market Expansion Execution
• Same Store Sales Growth
• Expansion Readiness

What Success Looks Like

First 12 Months

• Build strong relationships with every General Manager and leadership team.
• Establish operational consistency across all locations.
• Improve key financial and operational metrics.
• Strengthen leadership accountability and development systems.
• Build a scalable operating platform for future growth.
• Create a comprehensive expansion strategy and restaurant growth roadmap.
• Develop a new restaurant opening process and infrastructure.

Years 2–5

• Successfully lead new restaurant openings.
• Expand Corky’s footprint into strategic growth markets.
• Build a best-in-class restaurant leadership organization.
• Establish Corky’s as the benchmark for hospitality and barbecue operations.
• Create a scalable platform capable of supporting significant future expansion.

Why Corky’s?

Few opportunities exist where an executive can help shape the future of a beloved 40-year-old brand.

At Corky’s, we are preserving a legendary legacy while building the foundation for future growth.

We believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead of us.

The person who joins us in this role will have a direct impact on our future expansion strategy, restaurant growth, leadership development, guest experience, and long-term success.

This is an opportunity to build something special.

Our Mission

Legendary BBQ. Legendary People.

Our Vision

To be the benchmark of hospitality and quality in barbecue while honoring our heritage and embracing growth, innovation, and new opportunities.

If you have successfully led high-volume multi-unit restaurant operations, opened new restaurants, built great teams, and are excited by the challenge of helping grow an iconic Southern brand, we would love to speak with you.

Location

Memphis, Tennessee

Travel

Frequent travel between locations and future development markets required.

Compensation

Executive-level compensation package including competitive base salary, performance bonus, long-term incentive opportunity, and comprehensive benefits package.

Join Us

Help lead one of the South’s most iconic restaurant brands into its next era of growth.