James Grutkowski

Provide senior field leadership for an 11-location, multi-state portfolio across Pennsylvania and Ohio encompassing travel centers, quick-service restaurants, prepared foods deli's, retail operations, fuel sales, and facility services. Lead 25 General Managers and more than 500 employees, with accountability for revenue, profitability, expense management, customer experience, operational performance, talent development, and leadership succession.

Selected Achievements

• Reduced annual net operating costs by $1.3 million through disciplined financial management, expense accountability, operational efficiencies, and performance improvement initiatives.

• Increased QSR sales 6.4%, Deli sales 3.4%, Facility Revenue 0.9%, and Total Fuel Sales 13% across the region.

• Increased quick service restaurants operating profit by $325,000 through AUV improvement, operational execution, expense management, and leadership accountability.

• Reduced employee turnover 44% through strategic recruiting, leadership coaching, development, and retention initiatives.

• Recruited, hired, and developed 11 General Managers, enhancing leadership depth and succession capability across the region.

• Led performance through financial and operational KPIs, identifying performance gaps and converting opportunities into actionable improvement strategies.

• Partnered with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to execute company initiatives, adapting strategies to local market and portfolio needs.

• Earned President's Club recognition five times for sustained business performance and leadership.

Provided national operational leadership for approximately 230 restaurants across the United States and Canada, partnering with executive leadership and field organizations to improve restaurant performance, financial results, operational consistency, and leadership effectiveness.

Influenced performance through 10 Directors and approximately 60 Regional Managers, providing strategic operational guidance, performance analysis, leadership development, and execution support across a large-scale Subway franchise organization.

Selected Achievements

• Increased portfolio sales 2.9% (+$2.7 million) through AUV growth, average-check improvement, and execution strategies.

• Increased Gross Profit Margin 1.2% (+$3 million) through cost management, operational discipline, and performance improvement.

• Reduced operating expenses by $2.5 million (3%) while maintaining operational standards and guest experience.

• Increased total operating profit by 2% through balanced revenue growth, expense management, and operational improvements.

• Supported growth and development of a large franchise organization through performance analysis, field leadership, and strategic operational guidance.

• Influenced leadership effectiveness across multiple organizational levels, translating company strategy into consistent restaurant-level execution.

• Supported 20+ restaurant openings, contributing to portfolio growth and market expansion.

• Increased E-commerce and catering performance by approximately 30% through focused restaurant-level execution and growth strategies.

• Developed and reinforced scalable operating practices designed to improve consistency, accountability, financial performance, and leadership capability.

Led restaurant-level business operations with responsibility for customer experience, sales growth, profitability, staffing, training, food safety, and team development.

• Increased average annual sales from approximately $442K to $1.1M, representing approximately 149% growth over the six-year period.

• Built customer-focused teams through recruiting, training, coaching, performance management, and leadership development.

• Developed hands-on expertise in customer behavior, sales drivers, P&L performance, service execution, and operational problem solving.

Managed supermarket operations with responsibility for financial performance, customer experience, food-service operations, staffing, merchandising, labor relations, and leadership development.

• Increased EBITDA approximately $100K during the first year by turning an underperforming Hot Foods operation into a profitable contributor.

• Managed relationships with representatives of three separate labor organizations, conducting regular business meetings, resolving issues, and maintaining compliance.

• Used operational and financial data to identify performance gaps and implement corrective strategies.

Progressed through increasingly responsible leadership positions during ten years of service.

• Led a 64-Marine platoon as Platoon Sergeant.

• Trained and developed 300+ Marines and 60+ NCOs.

• Served as Combat Engineer, Forward Observer, Food Service Manager, and Forward Area Security Chief.

• Developed and delivered specialized training in multiple operational disciplines.

• Completed extensive leadership development and business coursework through Marine Corps University.

Led multi-brand food-service operations with responsibility for customer experience, financial performance, operational consistency, leadership development, food safety, and commercial execution.

• Directed managers across multiple concepts and translated company initiatives into consistent customer-facing execution.

• Supported digital ordering initiatives across QSR and food-service operations.

• Used performance data, customer feedback, operational metrics, and financial results to identify opportunities and develop corrective strategies.

• Partnered with cross-functional stakeholders to implement operational and customer-experience initiatives.