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.