Category: People
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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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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
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From Burritos to Boulders: Area 12’s Fearless Leader
Meet Melanie Brun, an Area Coach (AC) here at Desert de Oro Foods (DDO)! Melanie oversees Area 12 in Region 3, and over the course of her career, she’s held a variety of positions. This wide-ranging QSR experience means that Melanie understands firsthand the challenges that her direct reports face every day — making her
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Meet MaElena, Modeling Perseverance, Leadership & Strength
“How far I’ve come, the little girl from Mexico,” MaElena Garcia says while acknowledging she needs celebrate herself more. Now a reputable leader at Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) as a Taco Bell Area Coach (AC), we celebrate the full life she’s created here! MaElena moved to the United States in 1996 at the age
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Selene Quintana Leads with Purpose
Selene Quintana never planned on building a career in restaurants. At 16, she walked into a Taco Bell looking for a job that would support her dream of becoming a nurse. She wanted to help people. That first visit didn’t go as planned – the manager was busy and turned her away. Flustered but determined,
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Meant to Be: Karla Garnica’s Journey with DDO
Some careers are planned. Others are simply destined. For Karla Garnica, Area Coach (AC) of Area 25 for Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), working in the restaurant industry wasn’t just a job, it was part of who she was from the very beginning. Karla grew up in California in a household where work ethic was
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Bill Williamson Sings Our Praises
If you ask Bill Williamson, he says he just kind of fell into restaurant management with us. He’d devoted his more than 40-year career to the grocery business and when he was ready to walk away from that, well, it appears he was just in the right place at the right time! “It’s been a