Chief Executive Officer - Restaurant Franchisor

The RoleWe are seeking a CEO to lead the next phase of growth for a restaurant franchise brand that is in need of a turnaround. This role owns enterprise strategy, franchise system health, unit economics, leadership team performance, and long-term value creation. You’ll be responsible for building a brand that franchisees can scale profitably, not just growing unit count for the sake of growth.This is a builder role. You’ll set the vision, build the operating system, and assemble a leadership team that can take the brand from regional to national relevance while protecting franchisee economics and brand integrity.What You’ll OwnSet and execute the company’s long-term growth strategy (unit growth, market expansion, enterprise value creation)Lead and build a high-performance executive team across Ops, Development, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and Real EstateOwn franchisee success and unit-level economics as the foundation of sustainable growthDrive disciplined franchise development and territory strategyEnsure operational excellence and consistency across the systemStrengthen brand positioning and guest experiencePartner with the Board and ownership group on strategy, capital allocation, and performanceBuild scalable systems, processes, and KPIs to support growthCreate a culture of accountability, performance, and franchisee partnershipOwn financial performance, budgeting, forecasting, and profitabilityRepresent the brand with franchisees, investors, lenders, and strategic partnersLead through change as the company professionalizes its structure and leadership benchWhat Success Looks LikeFranchisees are profitable, growing, and aligned with the brandUnit economics improve year over yearDevelopment growth is disciplined and sustainableThe leadership team scales and executes without founder dependencyBrand awareness and guest loyalty grow in priority marketsThe system is operationally tight, financially disciplined, and culturally alignedEnterprise value increases meaningfully over a 3–5 year horizonWho We’re Looking ForProven CEO, President, or senior executive (COO/Brand President) experience in franchising, restaurants, or multi-unit retailTrack record of scaling a franchise or multi-unit brandDeep understanding of franchise economics, FDDs, and franchisee relationsStrong operator who respects the unit-level P&LExperience building and leading executive teamsComfortable partnering with Boards, private equity, or institutional ownershipDisciplined operator with strategic rangeHigh integrity leader who balances growth with system healthWillingness to travel and be present in the field with franchiseesNice to HaveExperience leading a PE-backed or growth-stage franchisorMulti-brand portfolio experienceTurnaround or plateau-breaking experienceNew market expansion experienceExperience taking a regional brand national #J-18808-Ljbffr