Franchise Business Consultant

About the role

Franchise Business Consultant Remote Northern California | Up to 90% Travel At Denny's, our franchisees are business owners and our Franchise Business Consultants are some of their most important partners. We're looking for an experienced restaurant or franchise operations leader who knows that driving results isn't just about identifying what's wrong or telling someone what needs to change. It's about asking the right questions, listening to understand, building trust, creating buy-in, and turning conversations into action. The right person brings a genuine "How can I help?" mentality but also has the confidence and backbone to address missed commitments, reinforce brand standards, and have difficult conversations when needed. If you know how to build real partnerships AND create accountability, this could be a great fit.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted, productive relationships with franchisees and their leadership teams.
• Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions to understand challenges, uncover root causes, and help franchisees take ownership of solutions.
• Turn conversations into clear commitments—what needs to happen, who owns it, and by when.
• Follow through on agreed-upon actions and address missed commitments directly and constructively.
• Use restaurant KPIs, financial results, guest feedback, and operational observations to guide meaningful business conversations.
• Help franchisees connect operational execution to traffic, profitability, guest experience, and long-term business health.
• Coach and influence through credibility, business insight, and relationships—not simply authority.
• Reinforce Denny's brand standards and help franchisees understand the "why" behind expectations and initiatives.
• Partner with franchisees on promotions, pricing strategies, CRM programs, technology rollouts, and other brand initiatives.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities across your market and bring field insights back to Regional Operations and Support Center partners.
• Document key conversations and commitments and maintain disciplined follow-through from conversation through execution.

Qualifications

• Multi-unit restaurant, hospitality, franchise operations, consulting, or comparable business experience.
• Demonstrated success building relationships and influencing business owners or operational leaders.
• Strong operational and financial acumen with the ability to translate performance data into action.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to navigate challenging conversations with confidence, professionalism, and good judgment.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Food Safety Manager Certification or the ability to obtain certification as required.
• Bilingual capabilities are a plus.

Skills

• A Listener & Question-Asker: curious, seeks to understand before jumping to a solution, knows how to ask questions that get beyond the surface of a problem.
• A True Business Partner: builds credibility and trust with business owners while understanding that real partnership requires shared responsibility and accountability.
• Comfortable with Accountability: doesn't shy away when commitments aren't met; can revisit expectations, understand what got in the way, and create clarity around what happens next.
• A Courageous Communicator: articulate, direct, and respectful; can have difficult conversations, challenge when necessary, and hold firm without damaging the relationship.
• An Influencer: knows how to create buy-in through relationships, business insight, and communication—even when you don't have positional authority.
• Business-Minded: understands restaurant operations and the financial drivers behind them; can use data to ask better questions and help operators make stronger business decisions.
• A Strong Follow-Through Person: documents commitments, stays organized, circles back, and makes sure important conversations actually result in action.

Schedule

• This is a highly field-based role with up to 90% travel, including overnight travel.
• You'll need a valid driver's license and flexibility to work days, evenings, weekends, or holidays when business needs require.
• You'll also spend significant time inside our restaurants, so comfort working in an active restaurant environment is essential.