Director of Restaurants Maydan Market

The Role:

Position: Director of Restaurants  

Reports To: Ownership, Market Director, DO

Supervises: Executive Chef of Maydan and Compass Rose, Maydan/Compass Beverage Manager, Management Team FOH/BOH. Events Manager. All hourly employees.

About:

In November of 2024, Maydan Market will open in LA’s West Adams neighborhood, the first West Coast project by Rose Previte, co-owner of DC’s Michelin-starred Maydan, Compass Rose, and Kirby Club restaurants. Maydan in DC first opened in 2017 drawing critical acclaim as Best New Restaurant in Bon Appetit, FOOD & WINE, and GQ, nominated by the James Beard Foundation for both Best New Restaurant and Outstanding Wine Program, and earning a Michelin star.  Compass Rose opened in 2014 winning the RAMMY for best casual restaurant in the nation’s capital and one of the Washington Post’s “Favorite Places to Eat.” 

This new 10,000-square-foot market will be a home for small businesses to flourish, anchored by a live fire hearth, like its DC namesake restaurant. Inspired by markets from around the world, Maydan Market will bring diverse gems together under one roof including a Maydan restaurant and bar; Compass Rose, an indoor & outdoor patio bar with bites, cocktails, and natural wine; and will be home to five Los Angeles food businesses each with their own distinctive cuisine and critical acclaim. 

Maydan Market, part of the No White Plates collective, is an experience-driven venue where rich traditions and exceptional hospitality converge. Our mission is to create an inviting workplace culture grounded in thoughtful communication, respect, and a commitment to excellence. We believe that a remarkable dining, retail, beverage, and event experience begins with hiring and training motivated individuals who embody empathy and a strong work ethic. Our menu is an homage to the people who taught us about their heritage from across Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, and the Republic of Georgia, showcasing superior food and beverage products sourced from dedicated vendors. At Maydan, we strive to inspire and empower our team, fostering a supportive and safe environment with benefits like paid time off, healthcare, and extensive educational opportunities

Position Summary: The Director of Restaurants is responsible for all restaurant unit operations under their purview with the approval and oversight of the No White Plates Market Director, DO, & Ownership. The Restaurant Director ensures that the restaurants within their scope always operate at the highest level and budget.  In addition to overseeing restaurant operations, the Restaurant Director ensures that their restaurants present the culture and values of No White Plates, creating a positive, respectful, and professional work environment for all employees.

This role involves directing the management team of Maydan and Compass Rose, the Beverage Manager, the Executive Chef, and the Events Manager, with detailed oversight of planning, logistics, production, and execution of all restaurant operations. The Restaurant Director is responsible for demonstrating leadership while modeling key cultural characteristics such as compassionate and effective communication, empathy, creativity, integrity, problem-solving, and resourcefulness. Simultaneously, this integral team member and their direct reports are well-resourced to maintain quality, consistency, and profitability in all restaurant areas. Key areas of focus include leading direct reports and acting as both their and ownership’s representative, developing programs, recruiting and training talent, and supporting fiduciary performance by managing relevant cost metrics.

Additionally, the role serves as a conduit between ownership and leadership, ensuring operations meet the Maydan mission and value systems, brand standards, target guest needs, ensure employee satisfaction, grow revenues, and maximize financial performance. The ideal candidate will begin pre-opening with responsibilities including developing SOPs, organizational tools, and opening strategy. This position is strongly supported by Maydan’s ownership team who are committed to providing all relevant resources to both the position and the individual within this role.

What You Do:

• Oversee 2 restaurants and all their operations.
• Provide leadership and guidance to AGMs and managers.
• Holds all managers accountable for the overall success and results of the restaurant.
• Responsible for analyzing and overseeing the financial management of each restaurant and conducting weekly review meetings with each GM to identify notable variances or trends.
• Oversee and guide managers  to ensure they are teaching, growing, and developing their teams.
• Verify that restaurants are appropriately staffed, and that training is executed thoughtfully and within budget.
• Ensure that all managers are maintaining manager accountability for the execution of responsibilities.
• Builds growth paths for all managers and verify that they are executing leadership initiatives.
• Identify NWP’s future leaders with executive leadership team.
• Work with managers to address ambiguity, adversity, and conflict within the restaurants.
• Ensure that all restaurants follow proper performance management procedures and that all required disciplinary action is handled fairly, consistently, and appropriately.
• Assist with employee relations investigations and ensure relevant information is communicated to the Executive Team.
• Encourage managers to recognize and reward exceptional service and teamwork, sharing best practices across the company.
• Promote manager development by consistently utilizing development tools and succession planning.
• Oversee all managers' adherence to all restaurant systems and company standards.
• Ensure all team members are well-resourced and have everything they need to execute their duties to the best of their ability.
• Responsible for the quality of food, beverage, and service served, ensuring that all standards are met.
• Oversee restaurant operations, including but not limited to personnel management, inventory management, kitchen labor management, repair, and maintenance management, and health and safety regulations management.
• Verify that operational checklists, including safety and sanitation, are completed, and that appropriate actions are taken.
• Delegate effectively and maintain a high level of communication to/from the restaurants.
• Represent NWP's Mission and Way and promote a respectful, positive, and professional work environment.
• Lead by example, creating a positive environment focused on enlightened hospitality and integrity.
• Ensure that operational decisions align with company culture and values; challenge managers to find ways to create community with team members and promote a professional and positive work environment.
• Take lead in communicating, coordinating, and disseminating information from the Executive and Ops Teams to the restaurants.
• Liaise with the marketing team to ensure that marketing messages and materials are always up to date in the restaurants.
• Ensure all new policies and procedures are adopted and executed in the restaurant

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum 6 years of restaurant management experience in full-service, high-volume restaurant.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a similar role overseeing multiple locations in the restaurant industry.
• Demonstrated track record of strong leadership and ability to lead high-performing teams.
• Proven leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire a diverse workforce.
• Demonstrated ability to obtain results through others consistently.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve positive financial results at the restaurant level.
• Sound financial acumen and the ability to analyze and interpret financial data.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and manage workloads with minimum direction.
• High attention to detail and follow-through.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to build rapport with both staff and customers.
• Effective communication skills to clearly articulate the needs of the business.
• Dependable, reliable, and highly motivated.
• Ability to manage multi-operational units.
• Knowledge of food and beverage fine dining industry.
• Passion for the food industry and a commitment to delivering outstanding food and service.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations and best practices.
• Able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Show resilience and flexibility through a variety of changes and transitions.
• Be able to communicate through Microsoft Office or G-Suite, Knowledge of POS systems and reporting.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.
• View setbacks and challenges as learning opportunities and a chance to enhance performance.

Disclaimer: 

The job description provided above does not encompass all duties and standards associated with the position. Incumbents will adhere to additional instructions and fulfill any related tasks as assigned by their supervisor, in accordance with company policies and management directives.

Maydan Market provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Salary : $150,000 - $170,000