Area Director

About Us

We hire the Marines of the restaurant industry; leaders with the soul of a warrior. We retain our best and develop their skills, investing in our people with world-class training to maintain our position at the top of the industry. We are builders. We believe in creating brand advocates, focused on delivering the Perfect Experience. Every Time. To Every Customer. We treat each restaurant like it's our only one, delivering Operational Excellence while we grow like crazy. We take a balanced approach to new unit development that delivers our restaurant-level sales and margin objectives. We let data drive our decisions and let discipline drive our process. We open each restaurant the right way every time to ensure their continued success. And we surround our new teams with support and start day one on building our next batch of loyal brand advocates.

About the Opportunity

This is an exciting time at Cafe Rio. We are majority-owned by KarpReilly, a leading private equity firm with a significant track record of successful investments in the restaurant and retail industries. We own and operate every single one of our 100+ locations. Our goal is to maintain our position as a leading high-growth brand in the fast casual restaurant space. We've gotten here without relying on our bankers to get us there. That's right, we've funded our growth with cash generated by stellar operations and outstanding service. Our operators work hard and take pride in growing a sustainable, profitable business the good old fashioned way - by running great restaurants.


We lead in a very dynamic, fast-paced environment, and this is a real opportunity to be an impact player, make your mark and change people's lives forever. We're looking for someone who is passionate about food and the people who make it; someone who understands the care and precision it takes to make food from scratch daily and is unwilling to compromise a single step in the creation of culinary perfection. We are looking for someone who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with their team, serves as a teacher, coach and mentor, and facilitates our teams' continued growth so they too can make their mark tomorrow.

Of course, you'll have all the "normal" Area level responsibilities including building and executing a strategy for your Area, daily and weekly business analysis, converting insights to business enhancing actions, performing restaurant visits, and ensuring food safety, cleanliness and service standards are being lived and breathed daily, etc. Most importantly, you'll be a key player at the best restaurant company in the country. Not only by our own measure, but according to our legions of raving fans and brand advocates. This is a huge opportunity to make an impact. Chances are you'll find it to be the best career move you've ever made.


At Cafe Rio, you'll have the opportunity to flex your entrepreneurial muscles too. Everyone here is a player/coach. You'll be expected to think, do, reflect, adjust and repeat. With us, you'll get a unique chance to flex your restaurant professional, all while falling in love with the history and future of this great brand.


About Our Area Level Leaders

Our Area Coaches are responsible for building and leading a high-performing team and restaurant business across diverse markets. They provide strategic planning and thought leadership for 4+ restaurants within the same state or across multiple states based on our restaurant footprint. The Area Coach reports to the Region Coach.

Here's a more "traditional" run-down of the essential functions and requirements of the role, and the other stuff we have to include:

• Achieves and maintains "Operational Excellence" via a successful and well-developed team, sparkling restaurants that serve excellent food, and strong results

• Maintains and drives high standards and expectations for food quality, food safety, service and cleanliness by empowering teams to take ownership for their restaurant

• Identifies business enhancement opportunities, implements strategies to drive improvement/profitability, and holds team and self accountable for results

• Sets targets and expectations for performance, operations excellence and people, and follows up to ensure proper execution


• Leads weekly meetings to discuss results, operational procedures, upcoming restaurant promotions, safety & security, and workforce planning (staffing, training, development and succession)

• Meets monthly with COO to discuss the state of the business and share updates; part of the Ops Leadership Team

• Regularly visits restaurants alongside direct reports to monitor and improve operational efficiency, ensure adherence to Company standards and guidelines and drive overall service excellence

• Performs every role in the restaurant and can communicate and demonstrate an intimate knowledge of each role's impact on operations, service, people and overall results

• Works shoulder-to shoulder with employees; provides training, coaching and frequent feedback; and on occasion may work non-management roles when staffing constraints require

• Accountable for all aspects of performance and serves as ultimate decision-maker for their Area

• Assumes responsibility for cash assets and P&L performance for their Area

• Performs all people centered activities and facilitating those activities with his/her team: recruiting, training and coaching, development, succession, and performance management

• Leads workforce planning efforts for the Area

• Readily identifies high potential employees and successfully develops them into increasingly challenging roles

• Partners with others to investigate and resolve customer and employee concerns/feedback

• Ensures compliance with all Company policies and procedures (people, operations, safety, assets, etc.)

• Partners with supervisor to grow sales, people and profitability

What it Takes to Succeed and Thrive

• 10 years of restaurant operations experience that includes at least 5 years of multi-unit operations experience

• High School Diploma or GED preferred; or commensurate combination of education and work experience

• Passionate about food, service and people

• Proven ability to drive YOY sales, growth and strong people development

• Possesses the ability to develop those around them to be even more effective - creates a culture that appeals to high performers, where everyone is empowered to hold themselves and each other to higher standards

• Strong business and restaurant P&L acumen

• Proficient with Microsoft Office tools, specifically Outlook, Word, and some Excel

• Demonstrates high attention to detail and focused on getting the job done

• Possesses strong organizational skills and can effectively prioritize needs (solid multitasker)

• Thrives in a fast paced, high pressure environment

• Demonstrates strong verbal and written interpersonal communication skills; easily interacts with diverse employees

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus

• Able to work flexible hours including early mornings, late evenings, weekends and/or holidays, as well as work weeks that may at times exceed 40 hours

• Able to lift and carry at least 50 lbs

• Able to stand for 8 plus hours

• Proof of valid driver's license

• Must be at least 21 years of age

• Travel: 20-80% of the time based on market

Final Comments

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Seriously...it's a job posting. How could we possibly cover everything here without creating a ridiculously long document that you wouldn't read anyway? Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. To make sure you really want to do this, go back and read the first page...that's where all the really good stuff is located.