Dillas Quesadillas, a North Texas-based quesadilla restaurant featuring cooked-to-order quesadillas and scratch-made dipping sauces, announced the launch of its Operating Partner program. The brand is searching for like-minded individuals who are excited to extend the restaurant to new markets and grow as leaders.

Kyle Gordon, founder of Dillas Quesadillas, spent two years developing the program in order to provide the best opportunities to potential partners. Before Gordon founded Dillas Quesadillas, he searched for different partnership opportunities with restaurants that aligned with his entrepreneurial mindset. The Dillas Operating Partner program combines the best of the opportunities Gordon encountered – creating a well-rounded program that allows candidates to work for an established brand while having the freedom to innovate and grow as leaders. The intention is to reward the partner’s high-level leadership and accountability with less micro-management, feeling closer to “owning” his or her location.

“When I began my career in the restaurant industry, this was the program I was looking for, but it wasn’t available to me. I want other aspiring leaders to have the opportunities that I didn’t, and what better way to do that than by creating the Dillas Operating Partner program,” says Gordon. “Our goal is to make every Dillas Quesadillas location an Operating Partner restaurant. We are committed to fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in our teams. Eligible candidates for the program will be surrounded by like-minded next-level leaders who are dedicated to cultivating personal and business development in all areas of life.”

Qualified external Dillas Quesadillas hires are immediately eligible for the program, and internal candidates are given a clear path toward becoming an Operating Partner. The program requires no qualification classes and no wait time – eligible candidates are supported and developed by other Dillas leaders and ongoing workshops. The program seeks to replicate that gut feeling entrepreneurs get when starting out by requiring a $10,000 bonus earn out at the start of the program. The reward for the bonus earn out is 8% of monthly restaurant EBITDA guaranteed which builds to 10% in the first two years. A typical bonus earn out period is three months and requires no up-front investment by the Operating Partner candidate.

“General managers are an important asset to any restaurant organization, and we want to make sure our team members are rewarded for their hard work and leadership at world-class levels,” says Gordon. “Not just financially, but with autonomy and with opportunities for growth in both their communities and careers. We want to create a path for great leaders to make the most of their talents and passions.”

With five established locations and two more openings planned in the next three months, the Dillas team plans to open multiple units and extend the brand to new markets in the coming year.

Fast Casual, News, Dillas Quesadillas