Job Description

General Purpose

The Franchise Business Consultant serves as a key partner to Sonny's BBQ franchisees, providing strategic guidance, operational support, and performance coaching to ensure brand consistency, optimize profitability, and drive long-term growth across the franchise network.

Essential Duties (may include, but not limited to)

• Inspire franchisees to improve top line revenue and bottom-line profitability
• Collaborate with franchisees to identify performance barriers and develop growth plans to drive improvement across operations, marketing, training, and technology.
• Promote and influence cultural initiatives to align franchisees with company values.
• Evaluate operational performance of franchise-owned locations, implement best practices, and recommend strategies to enhance sales and efficiency.
• Analyze key business metrics for assigned franchise locations to identify challenges and opportunities, providing insights to leadership as needed.
• Conduct in-depth financial and market analysis to identify areas for improvement
• Ensure franchisee compliance with Standard Operating Procedures and develop corrective action plans as necessary.
• Work closely with underperforming franchisees to enhance guest experience and ensure alignment with company standards.
• Follow up with Franchisee on all Brand Standard and Food Safety Audits. Document all key conversations
• Effectively communicate new programs and initiatives, securing franchisee buy-in and providing feedback to leadership.
• Support new restaurant openings and remodeling projects.
• Oversee training initiatives, assess effectiveness at each location, and report findings to the Leadership team.
• Facilitate retraining for franchisees, General Managers, and restaurant teams as needed.
• Share and encourage adoption of best practices among franchisees.
• Support franchisees in making critical business decisions, including potential ownership transitions.
• Assist with contract renewals and franchise agreements
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Inspiring leader to motivate franchisees to grow their business and the Sonny's system
• Knowledge of Sonny's Brand and the restaurant industry.
• Must have a strong understanding of restaurant operations.
• Ability to translate company vision and strategies into operational activities.
• Ability to maintain composure and objectivity during difficult situations.
• Strong interpersonal, teamwork, communication, negotiation, and persuasion skills.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills and logical decision making.
• High drive, sense of urgency, and initiative; ability to produce results and accomplish goals in a fast-paced, changing work environment.
• Strong conceptual skills.
• Must display critical thinking skills.
• Strong skill in building and maintaining relationships.
• Strong skill in reading, writing, math, analyzing, and interpreting general business documents.
• Strong listening and reasoning skills.
• Strong computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Office and various restaurant software programs.
• Solid business and financial acumen including ability to conduct analysis and present findings in a concise and accurate manner; draw meaningful conclusions and establish action plan; and set performance benchmarks; advises stakeholders on opportunities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with other departments.
• Ability to prioritize, organize and manage multiple projects with sensitive deadlines and changing environment.
• Must display integrity, strong work ethic, and professional demeanor.
• Must be dependable and reliable.
• Ability to adapt with change and be flexible.
• Ability to meet the needs of guests and anticipate the needs of others.
• Ability to manage and supervise others.
• Ability to comply with federal, state, and local regulations, and company safety policies .
• Must have and maintain reliable transportation, a valid driver's license, good driving record, and 100/300 insurance coverage (if driving a personal vehicle).

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Business; o r any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• At least 10 years restaurant/franchise operations experience.
• Demonstrated strength in operational competencies with strength in people development and guest relations.
• Demonstrated experience leading, motivating, holding accountable, directing and achieving target results in a franchise system.
• Demonstrated track record for flexibility and urgency in prioritizing and organizing projects.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

In the stores, the Franchise Business Consultant is regularly required to stand for prolonged periods of time, handle products and tools, paperwork and equipment, and communicate with guests, managers, and team members, including listening, hearing, and speaking. The position requires continuous bending, reaching, crouching, touching, feeling, tasting, wiping, smelling, and inhaling smoke from a wood-burning cooker. Sonny's is a fast-paced environment and requires constant human interaction and movement including regularly lifting and/or moving up to 20 pounds, frequently lifting and/or moving up to 35 pounds, and occasionally lifting and/or moving up to 75 pounds. In the stores, the Franchise Business Consultant may regularly work with or near moving mechanical parts, cleaning chemicals, may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, and may be exposed to temperatures between 0° F and 100° F. If working near food, frequent washing of the hands is required.

In the office, the Franchise Business Consultant is regularly required to sit, talk, hear, use hands and fingers to handle or feel, bend, stand and/or walk. He/she may be required to occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision. He/she will work in a well-lit, open environment. Job duties are not hazardous or physically strenuous. However, work sometimes is performed under pressure when the stress of deadlines occurs. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Travel is a necessity in this position and the Franchise Business Consultant will be in the field 80% of the time; travel in a car and on a plane is required.

This position has remote flexibility for Southeast U.S.-Based Residents.

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