Tag: Bites
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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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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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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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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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Troy VanWinkle Talks Mentorship & Motivation
When it comes to tacos, Area Coach (AC) Troy VanWinkle is a seasoned pro. Before joining Desert de Oro (DDO) almost five years ago, the father of three worked at another corporate taco chain for close to three decades! Troy has been an incredible addition to our team, and we couldn’t be more grateful for
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Bianca Sandoval on Simply Seeing What Happens
Bianca Sandoval’s stellar career with Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) began when she simply noticed a Taco Bell in her neighborhood. She didn’t know anything about DDO at the time, but decided to apply for a Restaurant General Manager (RGM) position and thought, let’s see what happens. Well, a career happened! Bianca officially joined the
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Working Hard, Playing Hard with Jeremy Hammer
Jeremy Hammer’s role as the Payson, AZ Pizza Hut’s Restaurant General Manager (RGM) is more than just a job, it’s a trip down memory lane. That’s because Jeremy grew up visiting Payson with his grandparents, and they stopped at the very same Pizza Hut many times. Jeremy even recalls playing the restaurant’s old Pac-Man game