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...Read More

It’s safe to say that Lesa Hummel is well-versed in all things Desert De Oro Foods (DDO). That’s because she’s celebrating an incredible 30 years with us: ten in DDO Taco Bells, and another 20 on DDO’s Payroll (PR) team. Climbing The Career Ladder Lesa’s an exemplary team member here at DDO, and her trajectory...Read More

Tamlyn White is Restaurant General Manager (RGM) at our Pizza Hut on Miller Road in Scottsdale, AZ. She’s been with Desert De Oro Foods (DDO) for five years (one year in her current position). Tamlyn admits she didn’t think she’d be at Pizza Hut this long. She started out as a crew member in high...Read More

Tanesha Aultman, Area Coach (AC) for Desert De Oro Food’s (DDO)Taco Bell Area 38, leads with a fierce commitment to her team. Known for her passion and no-nonsense approach to leadership, she goes above and beyond to support her restaurants. She brings creative problem-solving and mentorship to the forefront. Born and raised in Tucson, AZ, Tanesha...Read More

On May 24, in conjunction with Memorial Day weekend, we humbly honored our friend, mentor and former Area Coach (AC) the late, great Ed Ray with a small ceremony at Desert De Oro Foods’ (DDO’s) new Taco Bell at McDowell and Hayden Roads in Scottsdale, AZ. Though he did not live to see its opening,...Read More

We’re delighted to share this year’s recipient of the Wallie Jaso Growing People Award, Karol Mendiola! Karol is our Region 5 Training Leader — we surprised her with news of the award while she was enjoying her incredibly deserved place at our annual Estrellas de Oro reward trip in Cabo, Mexico.  The Wallie Jaso Award...Read More

There’s something special about Texas, and even more special about the people who call it home. At Desert De Oro (DDO), we’ve come to recognize a unique energy in our Texas-based team members. They bring passion, pride and purpose into everything they do. One standout? Greg Jackson, KFC Region Director (Region 6). His story is...Read More

In Kingman, AZ, a unique collection of restaurants called The Fork in the Road, showcases Desert De Oro Foods’ (DDO) commitment to culinary creativity. This group includes a community favorite, Mattina’s Ristorante. At the center of Mattina’s is Executive Chef and General Manager (GM) Yashica Oliver, whose story is as memorable as the dishes she...Read More

There’s a connection, a sort of calm familiarity that takes over when meeting Dulcelene “Dulce” Barros, the Restaurant General Manager (RGM) at our Norwood, MA Taco Bell. She’s described as having a “Mona Lisa-type” smile and a twinkle in her eye. It’s hard to imagine now, but Dulce was a self-proclaimed introvert in her early...Read More

When a handful of Desert De Oro (DDO) taco bell locations began testing Voice AI ordering, the teams behind the pilot had two main questions: which restaurants would be a good fit, and would it truly improve day-to-day operations? According to Jeff Torres, DDO’s Regional Director for Western Arizona and California, selecting the right stores...Read More