Director of Restaurants

Director of Restaurants

Philadelphia, PA

STARR Restaurants is seeking a Director of Restaurants to oversee a portfolio of our Philadelphia restaurants.

The Director of Restaurants has overall responsibility for the performance and success of their portfolio, partnering closely with General Managers, Executive Chefs, and STARR’s culinary and corporate leadership teams. This person will understand each restaurant as an individual business, set clear expectations for its leaders, and stay close enough to the operation to know where attention is needed.

The right leader brings strong business and financial acumen, excellent instincts around people and hospitality, and the ability to move comfortably between strategic planning and restaurant-level execution.

What You’ll Do

• Own the overall performance of a portfolio of high-volume, chef-driven restaurants, with accountability for sales, profitability, guest experience, operational standards, and team performance.

• Lead, coach, and develop General Managers and other senior restaurant leaders, establishing clear expectations and holding teams accountable for results.

• Maintain a strong understanding of each restaurant’s business, including sales trends, traffic and covers, labor, cost of goods, controllable expenses, and overall profitability.

• Partner with General Managers and Executive Chefs to develop annual budgets, operating plans, and financial targets for each restaurant.

• Review P&L performance regularly, identify opportunities and areas of concern, and work with restaurant leadership to develop and execute action plans.

• Drive disciplined labor management and cost controls while protecting the guest experience and the standards of each concept.

• Spend meaningful time in the restaurants, observing the business firsthand and providing leadership around service, hospitality, team culture, facilities, and execution.

• Build strong leadership benches and succession plans across the portfolio, identifying high-potential talent and creating opportunities for continued growth.

• Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition on hiring, retention, performance management, and organizational planning.

• Work collaboratively with Culinary, Beverage, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Facilities, and other corporate partners to support the needs and priorities of each restaurant.

• Provide thoughtful operational input on menu changes, pricing, programming, and other initiatives that impact restaurant performance.

• Ensure restaurants consistently meet company expectations related to safety, sanitation, compliance, and operational controls.

• Support new openings, leadership transitions, and other strategic initiatives across the Philadelphia market as needed.

• Serve as a visible, trusted leader within the market who creates alignment between restaurant teams and the broader STARR organization.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in restaurant operations, with a track record of increasing responsibility and strong business results.

• Significant leadership experience within high-volume, upscale, fine dining, or chef-driven restaurant concepts.

• Strong command of restaurant financials, including P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, labor, and cost controls.

• Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold senior restaurant leaders accountable while building strong, high-performing teams.

• Strong business judgment with the ability to identify trends, diagnose operational challenges, and translate financial and operational data into action.

• A hands-on leadership style and genuine comfort spending time in restaurants alongside operators and teams.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to build credibility with restaurant leaders, chefs, corporate partners, and senior leadership.

• Ability to think beyond a single operation, balancing the needs of individual restaurants with broader market and company priorities.

• Must be based in Philadelphia, PA, with regular in-person presence across the restaurant portfolio, including weekends.

This role is ideal for a seasoned operator ready to take on broader leadership and accountability across a portfolio of restaurants. Success in this role requires a strong understanding of the business, a passion for developing people, and the ability to deliver results while protecting what makes each restaurant distinct.

STARR Restaurants is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.