Category: People
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Honoring the Legacy of the Late Ed Ray
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,
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Here’s to You, Karol Mendiola!
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. This namesake award, only
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The Texas Spark: Meet Greg Jackson
There’s something special about Texas, and even more special about the people who call it home. At Desert de Oro Foods (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
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Yashica Oliver: The Heart Behind Mattina’s Ristorante
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
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Fourth Time’s a Charm for Bryce Carroll
If Area Coach (AC) Bryce Carroll looks familiar, it’s probably because he’s no stranger to being featured on our blog. Now he’s back celebrating another promotion — his fourth in the nearly four years he’s worked with us! This role may be his most adventurous yet, because it requires a move from Texas to New
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Dulce Barros is One Sweet RGM!
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
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Welcome to DDO, Jeana!
We’d like you to meet Jeana Gould, our new Corrigo Administrator. After commuting the last six years from Kingman, AZ to Nevada for her previous employer, this Kingman resident is happy to now work closer to home! She joins our administrative team at the Restaurant Support Center (RSC) in the desert town of our original
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Israel Moya: Training Leader with Renaissance Spirit
Israel “Izzy” Moya is a Restaurant Training Leader (RTL) with Desert de Oro Foods Taco Bell in San Antonio, TX and is described as someone with a renaissance spirit. Not one to be content sitting on the sidelines while life passes him by, Izzy is all about experiencing things to the fullest. Which, most recently,
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Meet this Year’s Estrellas de Oro Winners!
We’re celebrating the stars of Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) — this year’s Estrellas de Oro (gold stars) award winners! Last year’s inaugural reward trip was so much fun, we decided to make it an annual occurrence! DDO’s top ranking 15% of Taco Bell and KFC Above Restaurant Leaders (ARLs) will be handsomely rewarded for
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“Pizza Man”: Meet Regional Director Nate Sleeper
Nate Sleeper is Regional Director of 31 of our Pizza Hut locations in Arizona, but his journey with the QSR brand began in the much colder locale of Michigan, where he grew up. Nate moved to Arizona in his 20s, working for a number of different retailers before returning to the Pizza Hut fold. Today,