Umami Riot was born from a simple idea: pair joyful hospitality with uncompromising craftsmanship. Founded by Chef Tim Cushman and sake expert Nancy Cushman, our restaurants celebrate bold flavor, precision, and a distinctly Boston point of view. We’re growing — and we’re looking for an Area Manager, Fast Casual who knows how to run great restaurants today while building the systems and teams we’ll need tomorrow. You’ll lead Ms. Clucks Deluxe and gogo ya at Time Out Market Boston, with new locations already on the horizon. This is a hands-on, field-driven leadership role for someone who can move comfortably between the numbers, the people, and the floor — owning performance while building an operation that can scale.

THE GIG (AKA WHAT YOU’LL ACTUALLY BE DOING)

• Own the day-to-day performance of our fast-casual concepts — operations, hospitality, people, financials, and everything in between
• Take real ownership of the P&L, including sales, labor, food cost, inventory, prime cost, and four-wall performance
• Lead from the floor, keeping standards high across food quality, service, cleanliness, safety, and execution
• Build operating rhythms that stick — line checks, opening and closing standards, shift huddles, manager walkthroughs, inventory controls, and more
• Coach and develop managers consistently, building the bench we need for future growth
• Partner with our Corporate Chef, HR, Marketing, and Operations teams to keep the business moving forward
• Lead new restaurant openings from pre-opening planning through opening day and stabilization
• Build the fast-casual opening playbook so every opening gets smarter, stronger, and more repeatable
• Create training systems and develop internal talent so future locations can be staffed with people who already know how we operate
• Own our operational relationships with Time Out Market and future food hall and landlord partners
• Spot the gap, diagnose the issue, and bring the plan — before it becomes a bigger problem

THIS ROLE IS A GREAT FIT IF…

• You have 4+ years of progressive restaurant management experience, including at least 2years leading multiple units in fast-casual, QSR, or high-volume counter service
• You know your numbers and have personally owned a P&L, labor targets, food cost, inventory, and operational KPIs
• You’re a coach at heart and get real satisfaction from watching someone you developed step into their next role
• You’ve opened restaurants before — or have been close enough to the process to understand what it takes to get one across the finish line
• You can shift from reviewing yesterday’s labor to jumping onto the line without missing a beat
• You build systems instead of becoming the system
• You’re comfortable holding people accountable while still being the leader they want in their corner
• You’re organized, decisive, curious, and constantly looking for a better way to operate
• You understand that two brands can share a roof without losing what makes each one distinct
• You have reliable transportation and can move easily between Boston-area locations

Bonus points if you’ve worked in food halls, stadiums, airports, or other high-volume environments with shared infrastructure; have managed multiple concepts at once; or are bilingual in Spanish or Portuguese.

GROW WITH US

This isn’t a “keep the trains running” Area Manager role.Our fast-casual portfolio is growing, with a pipeline of new Boston-area locations over the next 12–18 months. We’re looking for someone who wants to help build what comes next — the playbook, the training program, the management bench, and the operating discipline that lets us grow without losing what makes these brands special. As the portfolio grows, so does the role. Base salary is reviewed with each unit added, with a defined progression toward District Manager or Director of Fast Casual Operations at $115,000–$125,000 as the portfolio reaches four units. 

LET’S SET EXPECTATIONS (IN A GOOD WAY)

This is restaurant operations — not a desk job.

You’ll spend significant time in the restaurants, coaching teams, watching service, solving problems, reviewing numbers, and making things better. Nights, weekends, holidays, and opening periods are part of the gig.

You should be comfortable standing and walking for long shifts, lifting up to 50 lbs., bending, reaching, and working in tight or hot kitchen environments. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

WHY PEOPLE STICK AROUND

• $90,000–$105,000 base salary
• Performance bonus up to 10%
• Opening bonus
• Dining discounts across Umami Riot locations
• Real opportunity to grow as the portfolio expands
• The chance to build teams, systems, and restaurants — not just inherit them
• A culture rooted in hospitality, creativity, accountability, and heart

If you’re the kind of operator who can walk into a restaurant, understand what the numbers are telling you, see what the team needs, and turn both into action — we want to meet you.

To apply, send us your resume and a short note telling us about a restaurant you opened or a number you moved.