Working at Desert de Oro (DDO) isn’t just a job for Josie Delgado-Perez — it’s a career and a commitment, and she credits it with bringing some really incredible people into her life.
New Beginnings
Josie began her quick service restaurant (QSR) journey as a KFC team member when she was just 16. She shares that as one of five children, money was tight, so she originally took this first job to help pay for anything beyond the essentials.
However, Josie’s professional skills showed promise. Plus, the compensation and development she experienced were a pleasant surprise. So Josie stayed — and over the course of a few years, she worked her way up from team member to Shift Lead, to Assistant General Manager (AGM) and finally Restaurant General Manager (RGM). She was an RGM when we acquired her location in 2019.
Diving in at DDO
Immediately upon DDO’s purchase of her restaurant, Josie recognized that we were much different from her last employer, especially when it came to our training processes. “When I first became a manager [at my other company], I was basically just handed the keys and said ‘here you go!’ That’s very intimidating,” she shares.
Josie took advantage of the training classes that we offer. After she completed courses on managing multiple restaurants, she was offered a position as an Area Coach (AC) — a title she still holds today.
Always on the Go
When Josie was first promoted to AC, she oversaw four multi-brand restaurants. But after two years, she began overseeing just Taco Bells. She’s been doing so for about six years now, and oversees seven restaurants total.
A typical day for Josie is busy, but she doesn’t mind. She describes herself as having a very go-go-go personality, and her schedule is certainly proof! From Monday to Friday, Josie gets up at 5 a.m. and starts her day with a four-mile run. She gets home, gets ready for the day then checks her laptop to go over the numbers. Once that’s complete, she visits her restaurants and has meetings with her people there.
Speaking of people, they’re the main reason that Josie has continued her career in QSR. She shares that she loves getting to meet new team members and make connections.
“The sad part is sometimes you lose [your people]. The good part is that you have social media!” Josie says, which allows her to keep up with those that she managed in the past.
“One of my managers says, ‘Yes we make tacos and burritos, but we’re in the people business’ — that’s the part I like.“
Josie Delgado-Perez, Taco Bell Area Coach
Josie has also seen her team members move on to other careers, and shares that working at Taco Bell definitely helps prepare them for that. She says that in QSR, you learn how to work with different personalities and engage with customers — two skills that are essential in any industry.
Reaping the Rewards
Josie is one of our top performers, meaning that she’s gone on our Estrellas de Oro trip not once, but twice! She says this is a great perk and loves getting to meet other people in the company she wouldn’t normally. She also really enjoys that we give a plus-one to our attendees. Josie got to take her wife, and shares that that part is especially meaningful, since she couldn’t do what she does without her wife’s continued support.
“I work for an amazing company. They recognize what we do every day. I always feel appreciated.“
Josie Delgado-Perez, Taco Bell Area Coach
What’s Next
When asked about her advice for team members who would like to have a career like hers, Josie says “You can’t lose focus.”
What’s her focus? Josie would love to move up to Region Director eventually — she loves learning new things, taking on new challenges and teaching others the QSR knowledge she has.
We’re confident that Josie will succeed at anything she takes on. Way to go, Josie!