Author: christopher
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Fresh Look, Strong Results: Celebrating Two Taco Bell Remodels in San Antonio
At Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), investing in restaurants means investing in both team members and guests. Two recently remodeled Taco Bell locations in San Antonio, TX are already making a strong impression with upgraded technology, refreshed spaces and energized teams ready to serve their communities! Our remodeled locations include the Taco Bell at 12050…
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Bringing Big Ideas Back to DDO: Inside the 2026 Bar & Restaurant Expo
Professional development is more than learning new skills. It’s about finding inspiration, exploring what’s next in the industry and bringing fresh ideas back to the team. That’s exactly what happened when Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) leaders attended the 2026 Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, NV. As part of our commitment to growth…
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From Pizza Delivery to Management: Kurt Radke Found His Place at DDO
At this year’s Estrellas de Oro reward trip in Mexico, we caught up with Kurt Radke, Restaurant General Manager (RGM) for Pizza Hut in Peoria, AZ. Surrounded by fellow top performers from across Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), Kurt reflects on an unexpected career journey that started with a delivery driver position and turned into…
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Finding More Than a Job: Lasondra Otero’s Journey
At Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), leadership starts with our people. For Restaurant General Manager (RGM)Lasondra Otero, that mindset has guided her journey from a part-time role to leading our Brockton, MA Taco Bell – a position she’s held for the last five years. Lasondra joined Taco Bell as a Service Champion in 2016, looking…
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Gold Meets the Gulf: Estrellas de Oro Reward Trip
We’re back from our third annual Estrellas de Oro reward trip. It was another year of memory making in Mexico! For us, this is culture building at its finest – where we get to treat our stars of gold (“estrellas de oro”) from Taco Bell ,Pizza Hut, KFC and our restaurant support center to a…
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Celebrating our Live Más Scholarship Winners!
At Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), we believe in investing in our people — both in their careers and in their dreams for the future. That’s why we’re proud to celebrate our team members who have been named Live Más Scholarship recipients. “[Live Más] means choosing responsibility now so I can create opportunity later.” –…
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Celebrating our KFC Foundation Scholarship Winners
At Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), we build more than great restaurants, we’re committed to building brighter futures, too! This year, we’re proud to celebrate four incredible team members who have been awarded scholarships through the KFC Foundation. These scholarships don’t just represent financial support, but an investment in dreams. We’re thrilled to have a…
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Meet Fred Bendel, VP of Operations
Fred Bendel is VP of Operations by day and devoted husband by night. Of course, these haven’t always been Fred’s main “shifts.” Like many at Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), Fred’s successful career and launch into restaurant operations leadership started out working inside a Taco Bell restaurant. Early on, he’d work night shifts at Taco…
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A Major Promotion for Mike Ahaesy!
As of December 30, Mike Ahaesy is our new Senior Facilities Manager! The Dighton, MA resident has been with the Taco Bell brand for 32 years and the Desert de Oro (DDO) family for four. We’re so excited to tap Mike’s expertise as he begins overseeing facilities for our entire portfolio of restaurants. Change is…
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Adrian Rodriguez: From Top Cook to Top Destination!
Pizza Hut team member Adrian Rodriguez has had quite a standout career year! No stranger to Pizza Hut’s annual pizza making competitions, Adrian has participated every year since we acquired his location over a decade ago. Most recently, we’ve been proud to see our dedicated pizza cook rise to every occasion — winning state, then…