Restaurant Development Manager

Career Guide

A Restaurant Development Manager helps a restaurant brand grow by finding new locations, evaluating sites, negotiating key terms, and coordinating the steps needed to open new restaurants. The role balances real estate, financial judgment, project coordination, and relationship management.

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Key Responsibilities

Build and maintain a pipeline of potential restaurant sites
Research trade areas and local competition
Evaluate sites using sales potential, costs, and access factors
Create basic financial models to compare location options
Negotiate letters of intent and lease terms with landlords
Coordinate internal teams through the site approval process
Support permitting and opening timelines in partnership with operations and construction
Manage relationships with brokers, developers, and property owners
Track development progress and report status to leadership
Ensure site choices align with brand standards and growth targets

Top Skills for Success

Negotiation

Stakeholder Management

Project Management

Financial Modeling

Market Research

Site Selection

Lease Review

Real Estate Sourcing

Communication

Commercial Real Estate Knowledge

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Restaurant Development Director

Real Estate Director

Head of Development

Franchise Development Manager

Asset Management Manager

Transition Opportunities

Commercial Real Estate Manager

Retail Site Selection Manager

Construction Project Manager Operations Manager Corporate Strategy Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Financial ModelingLease ReviewPipeline ManagementData AnalysisPermitting KnowledgeConstruction Timeline Understanding

Development SuggestionsStrengthen financial and lease fundamentals with real examples from prior deals. Build a simple site scorecard and track outcomes over time. Shadow construction and operations partners to learn the opening process end to end. Ask to lead one negotiation and one site approval package per quarter to accelerate learning.

Market Intelligence Report

Restaurant Development Manager is part of the Program Management category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 65,000 to 85,000

Mid LevelUSD 85,000 to 120,000

Senior LevelUSD 120,000 to 170,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand, driven by expansion of quick service and fast casual brands, plus ongoing store network optimization. Hiring tends to rise when brands increase new unit openings and fall when interest rates and construction costs spike.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

McDonaldsStarbucksChick-fil-AChipotleYum BrandsRestaurant Brands InternationalDominosDarden RestaurantsBloomin BrandsInspire Brands

Industry Sectors

Quick service restaurantsFast casual restaurantsCasual dining restaurantsCoffee chainsFranchise operatorsHospitality groupsRetail landlordsCommercial real estate services

Recommended Next Steps

Create a portfolio of three recent site evaluations with assumptions, risks, and recommendations

Practice negotiating with a standard term list and a clear walk away point

Learn the basics of leases, including rent structure, tenant improvements, and renewal options

Build a repeatable site selection checklist aligned to brand requirements

Expand your broker and landlord network with a monthly outreach plan

Track development metrics such as pipeline size, approval rate, and time to opening