Restaurant Operator- ( Locations TBD)

Position Summary

The Restaurant Operator is the senior leader and business owner for one Taco Time NW restaurant. This role sets the vision for the restaurant, translates company priorities into a focused business plan, and builds the people, systems, and community relationships needed to grow sustainable sales and profit.

The Restaurant Operator remains fully accountable for excellent daily operations while leading beyond the shift. Through strong delegation, talent development, disciplined use of data, and a deep understanding of the local market, this leader creates a restaurant that consistently delivers a great guest experience, develops future leaders, strengthens the Taco Time NW brand, and improves year over year.

Location: Location will be determined based on business needs and organizational requirements.

(We will be accepting applications until Wednesday, September 30th.)

Role Scope and Leadership Standard

• Owns the full performance of one restaurant, including people, guest experience, sales growth, profitability, food safety, facilities, and brand standards.
• Balances immediate operational needs with the long-term health of the business; anticipates risks, identifies opportunities, and acts before performance is affected.
• Leads through restaurant managers and shift leaders, creating clear accountability and sufficient leadership depth so the restaurant performs consistently across every daypart.
• Maintains a visible presence in the operation and works varied shifts—including openings, mids, evenings, weekends, and closings—to understand the business and support the team.
• Adheres to all laws, policies, and company standards.

Taco Time NW Values in Action

Caring People — Put people first by leading with respect, warmth, fairness, and genuine care.

The Perfect Taco — Own the craft and insist on accuracy, quality, consistency, and care in every guest experience.

Fluff the Cheese — Anticipate needs and build the people, systems, and details that set the team up for success.

Keep it Moving — Act with purposeful urgency, remove barriers, and maintain momentum toward meaningful results.

Force for Good — Make decisions that are right for the team, guests, business, community, and planet—even when they require extra effort.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

• High school diploma, GED, or an equivalent combination of education and experience required.

• At least three years of successful experience leading a team of 20+ achieving business goals/targets.

• Demonstrated success improving business performance, developing leaders, and building a healthy team culture.

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid Food Worker Card and any additional certifications required by law or company policy.

• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to other Taco Time NW locations as business needs require.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Business acumen and ability to interpret a profit-and-loss statement, forecasts, budgets, labor reports, sales trends, and operational data.

• Strategic thinking combined with strong operational judgment and the ability to convert goals into practical action plans.

• Ability to lead through others, develop leaders, delegate ownership, and hold teams accountable with respect.

• Strong communication, relationship-building, conflict-resolution, and change-leadership skills.

• Sound judgment and ability to make timely decisions in a fast-paced, guest-facing environment.

• Strong organization, prioritization, follow-through, and project-management skills.

• Working proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, scheduling systems, restaurant reporting tools, and other business technology.

• Ability to communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing, and to read and interpret safety rules, operating instructions, policies, and financial information.

Work Schedule and Environment

• This position works primarily in a fast-paced restaurant environment with moderate to high noise, varying temperatures, food-production equipment, cleaning products, and frequent interaction with guests and team members.

• The role requires a flexible schedule based on business needs, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, openings, and closings.

• The role requires frequent standing, walking, reaching, grasping, twisting, and keyboarding; occasional crouching, stooping, climbing, pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying.

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 20 pounds regularly and up to 60 pounds occasionally, with assistance when appropriate.

• Required safety equipment and personal appearance, hygiene, and food-handling standards must be followed.