Overview
Director of Franchise Operations Support Jobs in Tampa, FL at Ford’s Garage
Title: Director of Franchise Operations Support
Company: Ford’s Garage
Location: Tampa, FL
Join One of the Fastest-Growing Full-Service Restaurant Brands in America!
At Ford's Garage, we're not just building restaurants—we're building an iconic brand. As the official restaurant licensee of Ford Motor Company, Ford's Garage delivers a unique dining experience inspired by America's love affair with automobiles, great food, and genuine hospitality.
We're seeking a passionate individual who thrives on coaching operators, driving performance, and helping franchisees build successful, profitable businesses. If you love restaurant operations, leadership development, and making a measurable impact, this is an opportunity to help shape the future growth of an emerging national brand.
The Director of Franchise Operations Support serves as the primary operational partner to Ford’s Garage franchisees. This role is responsible for driving top-line sales growth, maximizing unit-level profitability, and ensuring consistent execution of Ford’s Garage brand standards, including exceptional food quality, hospitality, and operational excellence. This position's primary directive is to act as a coach and accountability partner, helping franchisees operate restaurants that deliver outstanding guest experiences every day.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Excellence & Brand Standards
- Ensure franchise locations consistently execute Ford’s Garage brand standards for food quality, service, cleanliness, and atmosphere
- Conduct regular restaurant evaluations
- Coach operators and management teams on systems, procedures, and best practices
- Identify operational gaps and create action plans to drive continuous improvement
- Strategic projects or initiatives
- Periodic cross-functional assignments
Sales Growth & Profit Optimization
- Partner with franchisees to drive same-store sales growth and traffic initiatives
- Provide actionable recommendations to improve profitability and margin performance
- Support menu rollouts, promotions, LTO execution, and operational initiatives
Field Leadership & Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact between franchisees and the Ford’s Garage Support Center
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with ownership groups and restaurant leadership teams
- Communicate brand initiatives clearly and ensure timely execution at the restaurant level
- Act as an advocate for franchise partners while maintaining brand accountability
Training & Team Development
- Support onboarding and training for New Restaurant Openings and management teams
- Guide franchise partners through the New Restaurant Opening processes
- Assist with opening readiness, staffing plans, training execution, and launch performance
Qualifications
Required Experience
- Bachelor's degree in the Hospitality Business, or related field
- 7+ years of multi-unit restaurant operations experience
- Experience working within a franchise environment
- Proven experience driving sales growth and operational performance
- Strong financial acumen with P&L management experience
Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership, coaching, and relationship-building skills
- Excellent communication and presentation abilities
- Data-driven mindset with strong analytical skills
- High accountability with a hands-on, results-oriented approach
- Strong organizational and time management skills
Travel and Work Requirements
- Position is Tampa, FL based
- Ability to travel extensively within assigned territory (80%)
- Must be comfortable working in restaurants and field environments
