Front of House Director

Front of House Director

A Front of House Director is a senior operational leader who owns the guest experience and the team that delivers it. They consistently demonstrate our core values, embody the Chick-fil-A culture, and lead with a servant's heart. Beyond executing daily operations, the FOH Director builds the systems, people, and standards that allow the restaurant to run at a high level without their constant presence. They are responsible for developing Shift Leaders into capable leaders, driving measurable improvement in speed and guest experience, and partnering directly with the Operator on staffing strategy, hiring, and FOH performance.

A Front of House Director's three main areas of focus are: building and leading the FOH team (hiring, training, and developing Shift Leaders and Team Members), owning FOH systems and operational excellence (scheduling, standards, speed of service, guest experience metrics), and acting as a strategic partner to the Operator in running the business.

Position Type:

• Full-time, salaried or high-hour hourly (exempt/non-exempt per state guidelines)

Our Benefits Include:

• A fun, high-performance work environment where you shape culture, not just follow it
• Direct mentorship from an experienced Operator on the business side of restaurant leadership
• Meaningful input into hiring, staffing structure, and operational strategy
• Closed on Sundays
• Health insurance benefits
• 401(k) with employer match
• Scholarship opportunities
• Competitive, leadership-level pay
• Employee discount
• Paid training and leadership development
• A clear path toward further operational or ownership-track opportunities

Front of House Director Responsibilities:

Team Building & Development

• Own the hiring pipeline for FOH Team Members and Shift Leaders — source, interview, and select candidates who fit our culture and values
• Design and lead onboarding and training programs for new hires, ensuring consistent execution of the Recipe for Service across every shift
• Directly train, coach, and develop Shift Leaders — the goal is a bench of leaders who can run a shift as well as you can
• Conduct regular one-on-ones and performance conversations with Shift Leaders; identify high performers and build individual growth plans for them
• Manage FOH disciplinary processes and performance improvement plans in partnership with the Operator

Scheduling & Labor Management

• Own the FOH weekly and seasonal scheduling process — build schedules that balance guest demand, labor cost targets, and team availability
• Forecast staffing needs against sales trends, seasonality, and special events
• Manage PTO, shift swaps, and coverage gaps proactively, not reactively
• Monitor labor percentage and adjust staffing models to hit target metrics without compromising guest experience

Operational Systems & Standards

• Build, document, and continuously improve FOH systems — positioning charts, opening/closing checklists, drive-thru flow, dining room recovery, and peak-hour deployment
• Own FOH KPIs: speed of service, order accuracy, guest satisfaction scores, and drive-thru times — diagnose root causes when metrics slip and implement fixes
• Lead daily FOH operations during high-volume shifts, modeling the standard you expect from your leaders
• Partner with the Kitchen/BOH Director to ensure smooth handoffs and whole-restaurant execution, not siloed departments
• Manage FOH equipment, supply levels, and vendor coordination as needed

Strategic Partnership

• Sit in on leadership meetings with the Operator to discuss restaurant performance, initiatives, and growth opportunities
• Bring data and observations from the floor to inform bigger-picture business decisions
• Help translate the Operator's vision into daily operational reality for the whole team

Qualifications and Requirements:

• 1-3+ years in a restaurant leadership role (Shift Leader, Assistant Manager, GM, or equivalent) required
• Demonstrated experience training or developing other leaders, not just Team Members
• Proven ability to build or improve a scheduling process and manage labor to a target
• Strong hiring instincts — can identify culture fit and potential in a short interview
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting metrics and updates to ownership
• Ability to manage conflict and performance issues directly and respectfully
• Reliable transportation
• Smile, create and maintain eye contact, speak enthusiastically, make emotional connections with Guests
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while keeping composure under pressure

Desired Qualifications:

• Multi-unit or high-volume single-unit restaurant experience
• Experience with scheduling software and labor-management tools
• Strong analytical skills — comfortable reading P&L-adjacent metrics (labor %, speed of service data, sales trends)
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish
• Prior experience hiring or building out a training program from scratch
• Demonstrated self-direction — this person should be someone you can hand a problem to and trust they'll bring back a solution, not just a status update

Core Characteristics:

Servant Leadership

• Places the development of others above personal recognition
• Builds leaders, not just followers
• Takes ownership of outcomes — good and bad — without shifting blame
• Leads from trust, built through consistency and follow-through

Systems Thinking

• Sees recurring problems and builds a process to solve them permanently, not just today
• Documents what works so it can be taught and repeated
• Balances structure with the flexibility to adapt in the moment

Growth-Minded Leadership

• Actively builds a pipeline of future Shift Leaders and leaders below them
• Has an entrepreneurial mindset — treats the restaurant like it's their own
• Constantly looks for the next percentage point of improvement in speed, cost, or experience
• Communicates a clear vision to the team so that it's understood and acted on
• Speaks with clarity, positivity, and authority that earns followership

Schedule:

• Full-time, leadership hours — expect early mornings, some evenings/closes, and Saturdays
• Closed Sundays

Weekly Day Range:

• Monday to Saturday, with flexibility expected around peak business needs and special events (5 day work week)

Work schedule

• 8 hour shift
• 10 hour shift
• Weekend availability

Supplemental pay

• Bonus pay
• Other

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Employee discount