Category: Operations
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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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Best of the Bell: DDO Celebrates Top Performing Restaurants & Leaders
Gold never looked so good! We’re proud to showcase our 2025 Golden Bell winners, which includes those Taco Bells that have also simultaneously reached Signature Restaurant status. For 2025, 136 Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) Taco Bells were named Signature Restaurants! Golden Bell celebrates the nation’s top restaurants in the Taco Bell system, along with
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DDO Expands Taco Bell Presence in East Phoenix
We’ve just acquired three additional Taco Bells in our backyard! These newest locations are in Globe, Thatcher, and Claypool, AZ. According to VP of Operations Fred Bendel it was exciting to be selected for this acquisition, given the locations are in our home state and a market area where we have an experienced, tenured Area
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Taste of 2025: Bite-Size Briefs
We always like to close out the year with a blog highlight reel. Our plates were full in 2025 with healthy growth (more locations, more jobs) and lots of reasons to celebrate. Our blog played host to many newsy updates and people stories along the way. Here are the most-viewed articles of 2025 in order
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Clean Sweep Contest Winners!
Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) is excited to announce the winners of this quarter’s DDO Clean Sweep Contest! This initiative was a collaboration between our operations and facilities departments, and we want to thank everyone who participated. Our Vice President of Operations, Fred Bendel, and Director of Development and Construction, Mark Raymond, had the honor
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Derek Petersen Dreams Big at DDO
From working as an Arby’s crew member in his teens to his current role as Desert de Oro Food’s (DDO) Manager of Field IT, Derek Petersen brings a wealth of industry knowledge that’s made a big impact on our business. Although he joined the team just two years ago, Derek has already proven to be
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DDO Replaces Iconic Location: It’s Out with the Old!
It can be hard to say “goodbye.” But in mid-April, we walked away from one of Taco Bell’s last standing mission-style restaurants — coined “Store 31” (Taco Bell’s 31st restaurant built) — to usher in the modern amenities, design and technology desired by today’s guests and team members. Our nostalgic Store 31 has been officially
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Fork in the Road Leaders Attend Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas!
The 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo, held from March 24–26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, brought together over 13,000 hospitality professionals for its 39th annual gathering. This premier event showcased the latest in food and beverage trends, technology, and operational strategies, providing attendees with valuable insights and networking opportunities. Leaders from our Fork in
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DDO Opens its 219th Taco Bell in Glendale, AZ
We recently caught up with Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) Area Coach (AC) Tyson Gilmore to learn more about our latest Glendale, AZ Taco Bell opening. Tyson is a Taco Bell veteran, having been with the brand for 26 years, eight of which have been spent with us here at DDO. Despite being a