Manager/Director of Full Service Restaurant (FSR) Program

Entity:

Customers & Products

Job Family Group:

Retail Group

Job Description:

The Manager, Full-Service Restaurants (FSR) is a strategic business leader responsible for defining, developing, and executing the company’s end‑to‑end FSR strategy, representing more than $110 million in annual sales. This role oversees the vision, performance, and profitability of all proprietary, branded, and leased FSR concepts while driving operational excellence, financial discipline, and a differentiated guest experience across the network.

 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Develop and own a comprehensive short‑ and long‑term FSR strategy that positions TA as the leading travel‑center operator in full‑service dining.
• Create scalable, profitable food programs—including menu design, product development, category management, supply chain optimization, equipment standards, and operating procedures.
• Conduct regular program assessments to evaluate performance, identify gaps, and implement corrective actions.
• Build and present business cases, financial models, and program recommendations to senior leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations to ensure flawless program execution, consistent quality, and operational readiness.
• Work with Facilities to define equipment standards, preventive maintenance protocols, and lifecycle planning.
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop go‑to‑market strategies that drive guest awareness, engagement, and sales growth.
• Partner with Technology, Finance, and Operations to develop supporting systems, accounting processes, and performance reporting.
• Ensure all programs deliver required return on investment and align with company financial and operational objectives.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Champion a culture of safety, reliability, and food safety compliance through clear processes, standards, and training.
• Support field teams by resolving operational issues, bridging cross-functional gaps, and ensuring consistent execution across locations.
• Maintain oversight of kitchen operations within proprietary programs, ensuring alignment with quality, safety, cost, and throughput goals.

Leadership & Relationship Management

• Build, develop, and mentor a high-performing team to bring innovative and profitable FSR programs to market.
• Foster strong relationships with internal stakeholders, franchise partners, and external vendors to support program success.

 

Qualifications

• Proven experience developing and executing food strategies in the restaurant or foodservice industry.
• Deep background in menu/offer development, operations, category management, and cross-functional leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to balance long-term strategic planning with day-to-day execution.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Strong financial acumen, including return on investment modeling, P&L analysis, and program‑level profitability evaluation.
• Experience with back‑office functions such as theoretical margins, recipe costing, and food‑cost optimization.
• Ability to travel up to 25% to support field operations, training, rollouts, and leadership engagements. (Travel expectations are approximately 50% during the first 3–6 months, reducing to 10–20% ongoing).

 

Preferred Skills

• Expertise in kitchen operations, workflow develop, operational standards, and program implementation.
• Familiarity with restaurant marketing strategy and consumer behavior.
• Solid understanding of food safety regulations, compliance requirements, and industry guidelines.

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