District Manager

The Opportunity

Aubergine Kitchen is a fast-growing, health-forward fast-casual brand operating across Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada - with several new locations opening in the next 18 months. Our mission is "changing lives with real food," and we take pride in offering food that is both delicious and healthy.

As we grow our district leadership team to support this expansion, we are looking for an experienced multi-unit operator who is ready to lead a district of several restaurant locations, own new-store opening accountability, and develop a pipeline of strong General Managers.

This is a high-scope, high-autonomy role. You will have a named seat at the operating leadership table, direct influence on how Aubergine opens and runs new markets, and a compensation package that reflects the full weight of that responsibility.

What You Will Own

District Performance

• Lead a district of ~7 Aubergine restaurants across multiple states, ensuring consistent guest experience, brand standards, and financial results

• Monitor and drive key performance indicators across your portfolio: sales, same-restaurant growth, food cost, labor, guest satisfaction, teammate retention, etc.

• Identify performance gaps early and move quickly to address root cause - with the autonomy to act before problems become patterns

• Own the P&L narrative for your district: understand what is driving variance and bring solutions, not just data

New-Store Openings - Named Accountability

New-store opening is a formalized DM responsibility at Aubergine, not a side project.

• Own each new-store opening in your district end-to-end: pre-opening readiness, team build-out, and Day 1 through Day 90 performance trajectory

• Ability to deploy experienced talent from existing district restaurants into opening teams

• Structured 30/60/90-day review cadence with the Director of Operations for every opening

• Performance-linked opening bonus tied to Day 90 results - because we know what an opening actually demands of a DM

General Manager Development

The most important thing a District Manager does at Aubergine is build the next generation of GMs.

• Maintain a documented bench plan for every restaurant in your district - who is ready, who is developing, and what they need next

• Coach GMs through the performance conversations, operational challenges, and people decisions that define their growth

• Recruit, develop, and promote from within wherever possible - and know exactly when to look externally

• Be the reason your GMs stay and get better, not just the person who evaluates them

Operations & Standards

• Conduct regular, high-quality restaurant visits - present, observant, and actionable, not just checking boxes

• Ensure full compliance with food safety standards, health regulations, and Aubergine operating procedures across all locations

• Oversee inventory management, waste control, and cost optimization across the district

• Facilitate clear, direct communication between restaurant teams and corporate leadership

• Represent Aubergine's culture and values in every interaction: with GMs, with teams, and with guests

Strategic Contribution & Continuous Improvement

• Participate as a named voice on Aubergine's operating leadership team - your district-level observations should shape company decisions

• Provide input on vendor relationships, local priorities, and operational standards across your district

• Own the field execution of new market entries, team integrations, and the rollout of new systems, processes, and standards - from pilot through full deployment across your district

• Lead the in-restaurant execution of new menu items and limited-time offerings - coordinating team training, prep readiness, and guest-facing rollout so launches land consistently across every location in your district

• Drive continuous improvement across your district: identify operational gaps, test solutions at the restaurant level, and bring proven practices back to the leadership team for broader adoption

• Champion operational changes at the restaurant level - translate corporate initiatives into clear direction for your GMs, manage the transition period, and hold accountability for adoption and results

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation is competitive with multi-unit leadership roles at comparable fast-casual brands and reflects the full scope of this position - including base salary, performance-based bonus tied to district results, a new-store opening bonus, tenure-based retention milestones.

Full compensation details are shared during the interview process. Additional benefits include meal benefits, a travel and deployment policy, and PTO.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a multi-unit operator who has seen what a district looks like at different stages of maturity - and knows how to move it forward. Someone who develops GMs, not just manages them. Someone who is energized by a growing brand and understands that the best time to shape something is while it is still being built.

You Bring:

• Proven multi-unit restaurant leadership - ideally 3+ years managing 5 or more locations in a fast-casual or comparable environment

• A track record of developing General Managers who went on to lead - not just GMs who hit their numbers

• Direct experience owning new-store openings: pre-opening readiness, team deployment, and ramp-to-performance

• Fluency in restaurant P&L: you can read the numbers, find what is actually driving variance, and coach a GM to fix it

• Experience managing across multiple markets or geographies, ideally including travel-intensive roles

• Strong communication skills - you can deliver honest feedback in a way that makes people want to improve

• Demonstrated ability to execute operational changes and new initiatives at scale - you have successfully launched new menu items, implemented process changes, or rolled out systems across multiple locations and can show the results

You Lead Like This:

• You are in the restaurants - not behind a laptop reviewing reports, but present, observing, and working alongside your GMs

• You develop first, evaluate second - you coach before you correct, and build trust before you demand performance

• You solve problems at the source and own outcomes, rather than escalating and moving on

• You are honest with your GMs, with leadership, and with yourself about what is working and what is not

• You are energized by a growing brand, not slowed down by one that does not have every answer yet

Requirements:

• Food Manager Certification required within 60 days of hire - company support provided

• Ability to travel regularly between locations across UT, AZ, ID, NV, and expanding markets

• Availability to support store openings, including multi-day travel and extended deployment periods when needed

• Bilingual (English and Spanish or Portuguese) preferred

About Aubergine Kitchen

Aubergine Kitchen is a fast-casual, health-forward restaurant brand built around food that is genuinely good: fresh ingredients, chef-inspired recipes, and a menu that ranges from bowls and salads to plates and sandwiches to smoothies and desserts. We operate across Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada, with locations opening in additional states in the near future.

We are a company that invests in our leaders, promotes from within, and builds careers alongside a growing brand. Our GMs run their restaurants. Our District Managers run their districts. We are growing fast enough that the right leaders will grow with us.

Aubergine Kitchen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace for all teammates.