Job Title: Germany Launch Lead – QSR (m/f/d)
Location: Germany ( Frankfurt /Hamburg/ Munich (initial 3–5 months based in London, UK)
Languages: German and English
The Role:
* Hands‑on launch lead responsible for opening and stabilising the first flagship quick service restaurant in Germany, ensuring an on-time, on‑budget and high‑quality launch.
* Acts as the operational “conductor” for market entry, coordinating all workstreams from market analysis and site selection to people, supply chain and tech setup.
Your Key responsibilities:
Phase 1 – UK immersion (first 3–5 months)
* Spend 3–5 months embedded with the UK teams to fully understand the service model, kitchen operations, culture and brand standards.
* Work on the floor (FOH and BOH) to learn guest journey, kitchen specifications and operating rhythms.
* Build strong relationships with UK leadership, culinary, marketing and operations to co‑create and finalise the German launch plan.
Market & proposition readiness
* Develop city and neighbourhood scorecards to identify and prioritise potential launch locations; organise and lead field trips with the CEO to assess sites.
* Support quantitative and qualitative research to adapt pricing, menu architecture and positioning for the German consumer.
* Analyse local peer set (QSR and casual concepts) on sales, labour, pricing and positioning to ensure a compelling, competitive offer.
Supply chain, commercials & infrastructure
* Coordinate the supply chain strategy, balancing imported products with suitable local/EU suppliers while maintaining brand quality.
* Contribute to refining the four‑wall economic model, sanity‑check Capex quotes and ensure all commercial assumptions are robust.
* Work with brokers and central teams to canvass and assess sites; support negotiations on LOIs and Heads of Terms.
* Oversee implementation of the local tech stack (POS, reservations/waitlist, payment systems, reporting tools).
* Own the regulatory checklist for the first site (licensing, permits, health & safety, food hygiene, fire, signage, etc.) and track progress to completion.
People & opening
* Identify, attract and recruit the founding leadership team for Site 1
* (e.g. General Manager, Head Chef/Kitchen Manager, key department heads).
* Co‑design and drive the training calendar (in UK and locally), ensuring the full team is trained to brand standards ahead of opening.
* Project‑manage the full countdown to opening: pre‑opening schedule, soft launch plan, test services, and opening week optimisation.
Support ecosystem
* Work closely with external legal/regulatory counsel for all licensing and compliance topics in Germany.
* Partner with HR and labour law experts to ensure compliant contracts, working time models and payroll setups.
* Access financial and scaling expertise from investment partners for modelling and long‑term growth considerations.
* Leverage the central UK team for culinary development, marketing campaigns, operations standards and brand guardianship.
Profile & requirements
* Extensive operational experience in Germany within QSR, fast casual or multi‑site restaurant/retail concepts, with strong knowledge of German consumers, labour market and supplier ecosystem.
* Native‑level German and fluent English, able to manage local partners, authorities and teams while collaborating internationally.
* Proven track record launching or scaling sites/projects, comfortable running multiple workstreams end‑to‑end with high ownership.
* Strong understanding of unit economics and P&L drivers (Capex, labour, COGS, occupancy, marketing), able to challenge and refine business assumptions.
* Hands‑on, entrepreneurial mindset: solution‑oriented, resilient, comfortable with ambiguity and willing to spend significant time in restaurants and on the road.