New Business Development Consultant

SUMMARY:
Restaurant Group based in Cape Town is looking for a New Business Development Consultant.
 
The candidate is responsible for driving strategic expansion through targeted lead generation, lease negotiations, and relationship management with landlords and franchisees.
 
This role plays a critical part in securing prime restaurant locations across South Africa and assist in the broader African region. The Specialist will identify and secure strategic lease opportunities, including lease takeover, white box conversions and lease renewals, ensuring alignment with the company’s growth strategy.

POSITION INFO:
Duties:

Lead Generation & Site identification:

Generate high-potential leads.
Create and maintain a dynamic list of target sites for new development bearing in mind the different brands within the portfolio.
Conduct market research to identify upcoming opportunities in malls, busy streets, and developing urban nodes and match them with the different brands.

Lease Negotiation & Site Acquisition:

Lead lease negotiations for new store locations, takeover of existing leases, and renewal of existing leases.
Evaluate white box and iconic site opportunities for strategic growth.
Collaborate with operations, compliance and finance teams to structure lease terms aligned with business objectives.

Stakeholder Relationship Management:

Build and sustain strong relationships with key landlords
Maintain ongoing communication and trust with franchisees throughout the leasing and site selection process.
Serve as the key liaison between landlords, developers, and internal project teams.

Franchise & Expansion Support:

Support franchisees with site feasibility assessments and location strategies.
Align new site selection with brand positioning and demographic targeting.
Host monthly New Business development seminars/conferences with landlords, potential and current franchisee and other stakeholders.

Financial and Feasibility Analysis:

Collaborate with finance and operations teams to assess ROI, sales projections and occupancy costs.
Conduct feasibility studies to ensure selected site meets the criteria for the suggested brand.
Ensure lease terms align with the company’s strategic and financial goals.

Reporting & Analysis:

Attend and contribute to weekly development team meetings.
Provide monthly progress reports on new business activities.
Deliver quarterly board updates on development performance and pipeline.
Maintain updated restaurant leasing files for each location.

Travel:

Travel extensively within South Africa for site inspections and stakeholder meetings.
Potential travel to other African countries for regional expansion opportunities.

Requirements:

Grade 12
A formal qualification
At least 3+ years’ experience in Franchise Operations
Must have knowledge and operational experience within the restaurant industry.
Must have a financial background in terms of franchise agreements and management accounts.
Experience dealing with leasing.