Infinite Kitchen (IK) Area Leader

Role Overview

The Area Leader - Infinite Kitchen is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing multiple Infinite Kitchen restaurant locations within an assigned region. This individual ensures that all locations achieve operational excellence, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and drive financial performance. The Area Leader champions Sweetgreen's mission and values through excellent leadership, consistent execution, and a people-centric approach, with an advanced focus on managing Infinite Kitchen operations. Part of this assignment is to assist in facilitating an integrated feedback loop as we seek to commercialize the operation of our Infinite Kitchen model, including exploring different applications such as high volume, catering and licensing operations.

Key Competencies & Responsibilities

1. People + Leading Teams
• Build a culture of trust, recognition, and positive team member experience.
• Own the employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, training, succession planning, building a talent pipeline, and managing terminations.
• Develop and train future leaders specifically for Infinite Kitchen deployments to ensure smooth operational transitions and optimal performance.

Champion an "always on" hiring culture dedicated to attracting and hiring, qualified Team Members for the Infinite Kitchen model.Create a positive employee experience in the high-pressure environment of an Infinite Kitchen.

• Provide clear, timely, and actionable feedback to create a culture of transparency and accountability.
1. Customer Experience
• Ensure we are meeting our SWEET standards so that the guest journey is clean, hospitable, and brand aligned.
• Analyze customer experience trends and create proactive action plans to address performance and meet or exceed expectations.
• Deliver fast, accurate, and memorable experiences for both in-store and digital guests.
2. Food Quality + Food Safety 
• Maintain high standards for food safety and ensure compliance with quarterly food safety practice audits.
• Conduct regular system audits and real-time adjustments to maintain excellence in food production processes, focusing on the automated systems involved in the Infinite Kitchen setup.
• Ensure cleanliness standards and that all equipment is maintained at the highest level.
• Take immediate action to resolve issues related to facilities, supply, and food quality to ensure follow-through.
3. Financial + Business Acumen
• Read, analyze, and action plan financial reporting (P&L, Ops Dashboard, etc.) to drive sales and profit.
• Ensure controllable costs (COGS, Labor) are hit and maintained daily and weekly.
• Execute short and long-term strategies while identifying potential growth opportunities.
• Assist in facilitating an integrated feedback loop to commercialize the Infinite Kitchen model, including exploring different applications such as high volume, catering and licensing operations.
4. Systems, Process + Tech
• Understand and operate all systems at an expert level and assist the team when they need support.
• Leverage automation to enhance both team member and customer experiences by delivering faster and more consistent real food.
• Implement and oversee the use of Infinite Kitchen model to maintain high efficiency and quality control in food preparation and service.
• Plan daily operations in a methodical manner to ensure tasks are prioritized appropriately.
• Troubleshoot and create solutions when systems issues arise.
5. Operational Success
• Implement and manage deployment plays for new Infinite Kitchen restaurants, ensuring that all procedures are tailored to this unique and tech-enhanced format.
• Develop and maintain a streamlined food production workflow within the Infinite Kitchen setup, optimizing performance during peak and off-peak hours.
• Utilize data and analytics to refine and improve kitchen operations continuously, focusing on maximizing throughput and minimizing waste.

Key Skills & Experience

• 10+ years in food service with at least 6 years in a management role.
• Experience leading high-growth and high-volume operations.
• Passion for developing and mentoring team members.
• Demonstrated ability to drive performance through leadership, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Strong business acumen with a focus on financial planning, budgeting, and profit optimization.
• A clear understanding of food safety regulations and a passion for creating exceptional customer experiences.

About our sweetlife:

• Competitive base salary + 20% bonus potential
• Stock options
• Medical, dental + vision insurance plans to suit your and your family's needs
• Flexible PTO plan
• 401k program
• Paid family leave; we believe in fully supporting new parents
• Complimentary greens
• Free sweetgreen swag
• An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
• A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
• A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
  
  

About Us:

sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 3,500 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we’re committed to leaving people better than we found them. We’re in the business of feeding people, and we’re out to change what that means