Facilities & Equipment Manager

Position Summary

 

The Facilities & Equipment Manager is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, reliability, safety, and lifecycle management of restaurant facilities and equipment. This role ensures restaurants are operationally ready, safe, and compliant through effective preventative maintenance programs, vendor management, and capital planning. The position partners closely with Operations, Risk Management & Loss Prevention, FSQA, and external service providers to support consistent restaurant operations and protect company assets.

 

In addition to managing current-day performance, this role is expected to bring a forward-looking perspective to the business by helping define the facilities and equipment roadmap needed to support the company’s growth and evolving operating model over the next 3, 5, and 10 years. This includes anticipating future equipment, technology, maintenance, and capital needs; improving scalability and standardization; and helping ensure the restaurant environment is positioned to support long-term operational excellence, brand consistency, risk reduction, and innovation.

 

This role is based in Tampa, FL and offers a hybrid work environment: In-Office at least 3 days/week, working out of our Restaurant Support Center (RSC).

 

Position Accountabilities

 

Facilities & Equipment Strategy

• Develop and manage facilities and equipment standards to support operational efficiency, safety, and brand image.
• Own preventative maintenance programs for restaurant equipment and building systems.
• Establish  equipment specifications, replacement standards, and lifecycle planning. Oversee and maintain equipment specifications, replacement standards, and lifecycle planning. Conduct annual reviews to ensure all specifications remain aligned with industry standards and evaluate potential equipment upgrades for operational improvement and cost savings.
• Support capital planning related to equipment replacement and facility upgrades.
• Build a forward-looking facilities and equipment strategy that defines what the restaurant environment should look like in 3, 5, and 10 years to support growth, changing operational needs, emerging technologies, and evolving brand standards.
• Evaluate long-term asset health, infrastructure needs, and scalability requirements to ensure future restaurant readiness across new and existing locations.
• Identify opportunities to modernize equipment platforms, improve standardization, and reduce long-term operating and maintenance costs.

 

Maintenance & Vendor Management

• Oversee repair and maintenance programs to ensure timely resolution of facility and equipment issues.
• Manage relationships with service providers, contractors, and equipment vendors.  Develop a network of self-performing service vendors in each DMA.
• Evaluate vendor performance, service levels, and costs to ensure value and reliability.
• Coordinate emergency repairs and support restaurants during critical equipment or facility failures.
• Partner with vendors to identify future-focused solutions, including more durable equipment, predictive maintenance tools, service model improvements, and cost-
• saving opportunities.

 

Field & Operations Support

• Partner with field and restaurant leadership to address facilities and equipment needs.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for equipment use, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Provide guidance to restaurant teams on proper equipment care and basic maintenance practices.
• Support new equipment installations.

 

Safety, Compliance & Risk Mitigation

• Collaborate with Risk Management & Loss Prevention to address physical safety risks and security needs.
• Ensure facilities and equipment comply with safety, health, and regulatory requirements.
• Support corrective actions resulting from safety audits, inspections, or incident reviews.
• Monitor changing regulatory, safety, and operational requirements to help position the organization ahead of future compliance and risk management needs.

 

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with Oper