The First Tech Hire Every Growing Restaurant Group Should Make (But Often Doesn’t)
Preshift Featured in Supy
Most restaurant groups wait too long to make their first tech hire.
By the time I’m called in, it’s often because a rollout’s gone wrong, a system’s become unmanageable, or costs have crept up quietly. But the truth is, a lot of that could have been avoided with the right hire – someone who understands the business, knows the systems inside out, and can bridge the gap between your operators and your tech stack.
And no – it’s not a CTO.
It’s usually someone who’s already working inside your business.
TL;DR? If you just want to jump straight to the template, you can download the Restaurant Systems Manager job spec here.
Why most founders wait too long
If you’ve got two or three locations, you’re probably wearing a hundred hats. You know your staff, your menus, your numbers. But when the business starts to grow – either in sites, revenue, or headcount – you hit a decision point:
“Do we hire an operations manager to oversee the GMs, or do we look at our technology a little bit more seriously?”
One of my first clients was at this exact stage. Their third site was opening, the new location was set to be their biggest yet, and they had to choose: add a layer of middle management, or double down on systems that would scale with them.
They made the smart choice. They invested in tech – and they put the right person in place to own it.
The ideal profile: your systems-savvy GM
Your first “tech hire” doesn’t need to be technical in the traditional sense. They don’t need to code, or manage a roadmap, or sit in on SaaS vendor calls (that’s what we’re for). What you need is someone who already lives and breathes your business – but lights up when it’s time to manage the systems.
“The perfect person is a tech general manager. A GM that loves sitting behind a laptop.”
I’ve worked with plenty of these people. In fact, when I was in ops, I used to get annoyed at them – because they’d spend less time on the floor and more time behind the screen. But the reality is: they’re the ones who will make your systems sing.
They know what data matters, what your team actually needs day to day, and they’re naturally curious. They want to figure out how the tools work.
If you’ve got someone like this already – they’re your person.
If you don’t, look for someone with:
A hospitality background (they need to understand the flow of service)
A knack for systems and process
A tendency to ask “why do we do it like this?”
The respect of the ops and finance teams
There’s no set title for this person, but depending on your needs and their experience, it could be a Systems Manager, Systems Co-ordinator, Tech & Ops Co-ordinator, IT Manager or Restaurant Technology Lead. For now… we’ll go with Systems Manager.
When to hire: before head office bloat
The right moment to put someone in this role isn’t when you’ve hit 15 sites – it’s before you’ve added unnecessary overhead.
The sweet spot is between site 3 and 5, or when you’re scaling up one large flagship store.
“Site 10 to 25 is when people start hiring more and more head office team. But that doesn’t always make you more efficient. It just increases the number of people who can make mistakes.”
A strong systems manager at this stage will help you delay head office expansion. They’ll also make sure you’re not overpaying for tools, duplicating work, or patching broken processes with human effort.
What this person actually does
Let’s be clear – this isn’t a glorified IT support role. You’re not asking someone to reset passwords and fix printers.
Here’s what a great systems manager does:
Owns the daily use of your tools (POS, inventory, labour, accounting integrations)
Champions new software rollouts, including training and adoption
Bridges communication between departments (ops, finance, tech)
Flags usage gaps, missing data, or inefficiencies
Helps you measure ROI from each system
It’s not about managing servers. It’s about managing usage.
And when they do it right, it shows up in your P&L.
How they reduce cost and increase control
Think of it this way: every piece of tech you use has two costs.
The first is what you pay for it.
The second is the cost of under-using it.
“Good tech implemented badly is bad tech.”
I’ve seen too many businesses spend thousands on workforce tools, only to use 10% of the features. Or pay for two overlapping systems because no one realised one could do both jobs.
A strong systems lead eliminates that waste. They get you the ROI you were promised in the demo. And they bring consistency – so that when a manager leaves, your entire stock process doesn’t walk out the door with them.
The overlooked unlock for growth
Hiring a systems manager doesn’t just improve your tech stack.
It changes how you scale.
“It gives you visibility, accountability, and confidence in your numbers. It lets you grow without adding a huge head office team. It makes your tech actually work.”
And if you get it right early on, it creates a culture where data matters, decisions are evidence-based, and you’re not always in firefighting mode.
If you’re at 2–5 sites and planning for growth, this hire will do more for your business than any consultant or software ever could (yep, even me).
Just make sure you give them the tools – and trust – to do it right.
