Head of Business Development

Head of Business Development

Are you an ambitious, commercially driven growth specialist with a passion for world-class food? 

Pasta Evangelists has built a cult following of British pasta lovers, and now we are disrupting Britain’s dining scene by launching our very own vibrant restaurants. 

Backed by Barilla, we are growing rapidly and entering our next exciting chapter of expansion. 

We are seeking a high-energy Head of Business Development to own the franchisee side of our business. 

Your mission is simple but massive: scale our brand footprint by identifying, securing, and onboarding top-tier franchise partners across the UK and beyond. From the first introductory call to the buzz of opening night, you will lead the end-to-end franchise lifecycle-driving partner acquisition, helping them secure the perfect sites, and managing seamless cross-functional launches to ensure long-term success.

What you'll do at Pasta Evangelists: 

• Actively build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective franchise partners. Lead the recruitment and sales process from initial inquiry, through rigorous financial and operational due diligence, right up to contract execution. 

• Work collaboratively with new franchise partners to identify, assess, and secure premium restaurant locations. Analyse demographics, local competition, and site viability to ensure they set up in high-performing areas. 

• Assist franchise partners in navigating negotiations on Heads of Terms, lease agreements, and commercial property contracts, ensuring all acquisitions are commercially viable. 

• Own the launch roadmap for new franchise sites. Coordinate closely with internal teams to manage timelines, readiness checklists, and ensure the partner is set up for a flawless opening. 

• Act as the primary champion and strategic contact for our franchise partners during their onboarding and launch phase, aligning them completely with Pasta Evangelists' culture, operational standards, and brand vision. 

• Develop and refine onboarding programs, launch toolkits, and operational certification frameworks to make our franchise growth model highly repeatable and scalable.

• Track and report on key growth metrics including pipeline health, partner recruitment progress, and new store opening timelines. Prepare sharp business cases and growth updates for senior leadership.

Who you are: 

• You bring proven experience in franchise development, business expansion, or partner recruitment within hospitality, food & beverage, or multi-site retail. 

• You possess outstanding stakeholder management skills and a track record of building trust with high-net-worth operators and corporate franchise partners. 

• You understand the unit economics of a restaurant. You are comfortable reviewing financial profiles, building business cases, and navigating commercial property markets/lease terms. 

• Highly organized and details-driven, you can confidently juggle multiple restaurant launch timelines simultaneously without dropping the ball. 

• You love a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You are entrepreneurial, self-motivated, and ready to travel regularly across the UK to meet partners and attend franchise events. 

• You have a genuine passion for hospitality, premium consumer brands, and—of course-exceptional food. 
  
  

  What Success Looks Like: 

• Consistently hitting our annual franchise restaurant opening targets. 
• Recruiting a high-quality, deeply engaged network of franchise partners. 
• Flawless onboarding and launch execution, resulting in strong initial trading weeks for new sites. 
• Establishing scalable processes that allow us to replicate franchise success sustainably.




What we can offer: 

• Competitive salary to attract the best talent. 
• Join a dynamic, fast-moving, and diverse team. 
• Discount at our counter and restaurant in Harrods. 
• Regular team socials and pasta tastings. 
• Free Pasta Evangelists products. 
• Referral bonus scheme. 
• Cycle to work scheme. 
• 25 days of paid annual leave (plus bank holidays). 

Head of Business Development

Are you an ambitious, commercially driven growth specialist with a passion for world-class food? 

Pasta Evangelists has built a cult following of British pasta lovers, and now we are disrupting Britain’s dining scene by launching our very own vibrant restaurants. 

Backed by Barilla, we are growing rapidly and entering our next exciting chapter of expansion. 

We are seeking a high-energy Head of Business Development to own the franchisee side of our business. 

Your mission is simple but massive: scale our brand footprint by identifying, securing, and onboarding top-tier franchise partners across the UK and beyond. From the first introductory call to the buzz of opening night, you will lead the end-to-end franchise lifecycle-driving partner acquisition, helping them secure the perfect sites, and managing seamless cross-functional launches to ensure long-term success.

What you'll do at Pasta Evangelists: 

• Actively build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective franchise partners. Lead the recruitment and sales process from initial inquiry, through rigorous financial and operational due diligence, right up to contract execution. 

• Work collaboratively with new franchise partners to identify, assess, and secure premium restaurant locations. Analyse demographics, local competition, and site viability to ensure they set up in high-performing areas. 

• Assist franchise partners in navigating negotiations on Heads of Terms, lease agreements, and commercial property contracts, ensuring all acquisitions are commercially viable. 

• Own the launch roadmap for new franchise sites. Coordinate closely with internal teams to manage timelines, readiness checklists, and ensure the partner is set up for a flawless opening. 

• Act as the primary champion and strategic contact for our franchise partners during their onboarding and launch phase, aligning them completely with Pasta Evangelists' culture, operational standards, and brand vision. 

• Develop and refine onboarding programs, launch toolkits, and operational certification frameworks to make our franchise growth model highly repeatable and scalable.

• Track and report on key growth metrics including pipeline health, partner recruitment progress, and new store opening timelines. Prepare sharp business cases and growth updates for senior leadership.

Who you are: 

• You bring proven experience in franchise development, business expansion, or partner recruitment within hospitality, food & beverage, or multi-site retail. 

• You possess outstanding stakeholder management skills and a track record of building trust with high-net-worth operators and corporate franchise partners. 

• You understand the unit economics of a restaurant. You are comfortable reviewing financial profiles, building business cases, and navigating commercial property markets/lease terms. 

• Highly organized and details-driven, you can confidently juggle multiple restaurant launch timelines simultaneously without dropping the ball. 

• You love a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You are entrepreneurial, self-motivated, and ready to travel regularly across the UK to meet partners and attend franchise events. 

• You have a genuine passion for hospitality, premium consumer brands, and—of course-exceptional food. 
  
  

  What Success Looks Like: 

• Consistently hitting our annual franchise restaurant opening targets. 
• Recruiting a high-quality, deeply engaged network of franchise partners. 
• Flawless onboarding and launch execution, resulting in strong initial trading weeks for new sites. 
• Establishing scalable processes that allow us to replicate franchise success sustainably.




What we can offer: 

• Competitive salary to attract the best talent. 
• Join a dynamic, fast-moving, and diverse team. 
• Discount at our counter and restaurant in Harrods. 
• Regular team socials and pasta tastings. 
• Free Pasta Evangelists products. 
• Referral bonus scheme. 
• Cycle to work scheme. 
• 25 days of paid annual leave (plus bank holidays).