About My Client A well-established South African group within the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector, with a restaurant division based in Cape Town. The business operates a portfolio of high-volume, multi-site restaurants, delivering consistent, high-quality guest experiences with a strong focus on operational excellence and brand integrity. Cape Town Salary: TBD About The Role This is a senior executive leadership role responsible for driving operational performance, strategic execution, and sustainable growth across a large, multi-site restaurant portfolio. Our client is seeking a commercially driven and highly experienced COO who can lead complex operations, ensure consistency across all sites, and support expansion initiatives both locally and internationally. This role requires a hands‑on leader who can balance strategic direction with strong operational execution in a fast‑paced hospitality environment. Key Responsibilities Lead operations across all restaurant locations, ensuring consistent service standards, food quality, and guest experience, while implementing frameworks, systems, and KPIs to drive efficiency and profitability. Support new restaurant openings, acquisitions, and expansion initiatives by assessing opportunities, ensuring operational readiness, and driving smooth integration of new sites into the portfolio. Oversee franchise operations where applicable, ensuring brand consistency and compliance, while supporting partners with performance improvement and operational excellence. Drive profitability through effective cost control, labour management, and revenue optimisation, working closely with finance on budgets, forecasts, and performance tracking. Lead and develop Area Managers and General Managers, fostering a high‑performance, accountable culture and supporting leadership development and succession planning. Translate business strategy into clear operational plans, lead change management initiatives, and proactively identify and mitigate operational risks. Ensure compliance with all regulatory, health, safety, and food standards, maintaining strong operational controls and audit readiness across all sites. Minimum Requirements Relevant qualification in Hospitality Management, Operations, or related field. Minimum 10 years’ senior leadership experience in a multi‑site restaurant environment (non‑negotiable). Proven experience managing large, complex restaurant operations. Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets and operational performance. Experience in expansion, franchise operations, or multi‑unit growth strategies advantageous. Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills. #J-18808-Ljbffr