Front of House Director

Position Overview

The FOH Director at Chick-fil-A is responsible for delivering operational excellence and industry-leading hospitality in the restaurant’s Front of House, consistently meeting or exceeding goals established by the Operator. This leadership role demands a commitment to operational efficiency, team development, and the customer experience to ensure every guest is served with excellence and care.

The FOH Director must successfully balance three critical priorities: The Guest Experience, Team Member Engagement, and Business Health. This position requires a strategic leader capable of managing a high-volume environment through a disciplined leadership structure.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence:

• Deliver an elevated guest experience by ensuring every interaction is anchored in operational excellence and exceptional customer service.
• Drive sales growth through exceptional service, focusing on achieving top-tier speed of service and minimizing bottlenecks.
• Aggressively pursue productivity and efficiency targets in areas such as labor costs, food cost, and cleanliness.
• Monitor and enhance speed of service, ensuring timely, accurate orders, and minimizing customer wait times.
• Uphold cleanliness and organizational standards to present an inviting environment for guests.
• Oversee the end-to-end Catering system, ensuring accuracy, on-time delivery/pickup, and the growth of outside sales through excellent execution.

Customer Experience Focus:

• Leverage Customer Experience metrics to identify and mitigate customer pain points.
• Execute initiatives for improvement based on customer feedback, targeting key metrics such as speed of service, order accuracy, and quality.

Team Member Engagement and Development:

• Foster an engaged team culture by providing ongoing coaching, mentorship, and recognition to boost morale and productivity.
• Maintain a consistent rhythm of 1-on-1 growth meetings with Team Leaders to ensure alignment, morale, and professional development.
• Responsible for identifying performance gaps and executing timely corrective action and documentation.

Leadership Development:

• Identify, train, and advance Team Members into leadership roles, focusing on cultivating skilled, passionate leaders with a positive influence.

Long-Term Success Factors

Expand FOH Leadership Structure:

• Develop and support a dedicated team of leaders to uphold training excellence, customer experience, and ensure operational consistency.

Optimize FOH Systems & Processes:

• Regularly evaluate and refine systems for individual positions, overall throughput, cleanliness, and operational excellence.
• Implement process improvements aimed at delivering the best possible Chick-fil-A experience.

Achieve FOH Performance Goals:

• Continually monitor and act on restaurant data metrics to improve OSAT, Speed of Service, Order Accuracy, Cleanliness, and other performance indicators.
• Set long-term goals for FOH metrics and work with the leadership team to drive sustainable improvement.
• Align processes and team efforts to position the restaurant as a benchmark for operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Key Performance Indicators

Customer Experience & Brand Loyalty

• Achievement of monthly & quarterly metrics reflecting operational excellence and customer experience.
• Chick-fil-A App Usage: Growth in digital transactions and mobile ordering adoption.
• Achievement of monthly & quarterly metrics on external brand-standard evaluations.

Financial Stewardship & Productivity

• Labor Productivity: Meeting Transactions Per Labor Hour, Sales per labor hour (Productivity), and labor cost percentage targets.
• Food Cost Gaps: Minimizing food waste in the restaurant
• Sales Growth: Achievement of year-over-year sales and average daily transaction count goals.
• Catering Excellence: Accuracy, on-time delivery/pickup rates, and catering sales growth.

Safety & Operational Health

• Food Safety: Achieving elite status on food safety evaluations. 
• Operational Systems: Successful implementation and refinement of throughput and organizational systems.

This position requires strong leadership, a passion for customer service, and a strategic approach to operational excellence. The FOH Director will be a pivotal player in creating a positive and productive work culture and ensuring an exceptional experience for every Chick-fil-A guest.

Working at a Chick-fil-A® restaurant is more than a job – it’s an opportunity for teamwork and leadership development in a positive, people-focused environment. Most Chick-fil-A restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent, franchised Operators who invest in the future of their Team Members and give back to their communities.