Desert de Oro Foods

25/09/2026

30 years at DDO means a lot of stories, milestones and memories!

Meet Lesa Hummel, DDO’s longest-tenured employee outside of our founders, and hear about her journey from an opening-crew team member to Payroll Director.

Read the Q&A here:

In August 2025, we interviewed Payroll Director Lesa Hummel about her impressive 30 years with Desert de Oro Foods (DDO). Lesa is DDO’s longest tenured employee aside from our company founders! We only had 13 Taco Bells when she joined the team. The four-time grandma says this makes her feel a lit...

22/09/2026

We’re back open in San Angelo!

Our Taco Bell restaurant in San Angelo, TX has officially reopened its doors. The milestone reflects DDO’s continued investment in the community and strengthens our presence across West Texas.

We’re excited to be serving the San Angelo area once again!

18/09/2026

Siblings Dylan and Avery Edwards found their way to the same Taco Bell team in Culebra, and their story is a fun look at how one family connection can lead to a great opportunity.

Head to the link to read their full story!

Meet Avery and Dylan Edwards: siblings, Taco Bell team members (at the same location in San Antonio, TX) and Mormon missionaries. We caught wind of Avery’s pending departure from our Culebra Road Taco Bell following her graduation from high school and were instantly curious to learn more. The Edwa...

14/09/2026

At DDO, our guests are at the heart of everything we do!

For Area 7 in Northwest Arizona, that mission inspired a special Guest Appreciation Day designed to give back to the customers who show up to our Taco Bells every day. Led by Area Coach (AC) Nina Atkins, the event brought teams and guests together for a day filled with free food, Taco Bell swag, and plenty of smiles. After seeing the success of the event, Nina would love to make Guest Appreciation Days a regular tradition! Read the full story on our blog:

At Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), our guests are at the heart of everything we do. For Area 7 in Northwest Arizona, that mission inspired a special Guest Appreciation Day designed to give back to the customers who show up to our Taco Bells every day. Led by Area Coach (AC) Nina Atkins, the event […]

10/09/2026

Corey Harris joined DDO 10 years ago with a goal: keep growing and moving up wherever his career took him. Today, that journey has brought him to a new opportunity in New England as an Area Coach!

From day one to a decade later, Corey’s story is one of ambition, growth and saying yes to what’s next. Click through to catch up with Corey and learn more about his DDO journey!

When Corey Harris heard we had an Area Coach (AC) opening out in New England, where we bought 30-plus restaurants in 2022, it definitely piqued his interest. From the minute he was first hired 10 years ago, his goal was always to move up wherever he landed. At the time of our New England acquisition...

03/09/2026

After six years of helping shape the growth of Desert de Oro Foods, we’re saying “see you later” to a true DDO legend, John Rose!

We celebrated John with an ice cream social before he heads east to Alabama and begins his next chapter. While he’ll continue supporting DDO’s development team part-time, he’s also taking on new adventures in real estate and beyond.

Read more about John, his storied career and what’s next:

It didn’t take much convincing to get us to throw a sweet surprise sendoff for ice cream lover John Rose, who’s been our lease management guy for six years. Midsummer, we threw John his very own ice cream social. John has been working closely with Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) leadership on how best...

28/08/2026

Back to school season looks a little different when your job helps you reach your goals. At DDO, we cover the cost of the GEDWorks program for our Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut team members. It’s one of the ways we invest in our people and support their personal and professional growth. Ready to take the next step? Your next opportunity could come with a little extra support. Head to ddofoods.com to explore opportunities with Desert de Oro Foods!

27/08/2026

Our guests are at the heart of everything we do! Area 7 Taco Bell teams in Northwest Arizona recently brought that commitment to life with a special Guest Appreciation Day filled with free food, Taco Bell swag, smiles and plenty of memorable moments. Led by Area Coach Nina Atkins, the event was all about celebrating the guests who make our restaurants part of the community. Read the full story on the DDO blog at ddofoods.com!

26/08/2026

Big congratulations to Jesse Packer on his promotion to Senior RTC! 🎉

After four years with DDO, Jesse is stepping into a new chapter focused on developing people, supporting our training organization and helping teams reach greater heights.

We’re excited to see all he’ll accomplish in his new role. Congratulations, Jesse!

After four years (and counting) with Desert de Oro Foods (DDO), training guru Jesse Packer takes on an upgraded role as Senior Region Training Coach (RTC). Moving up from RTC of Region 3, we share in Jesse’s excitement with this promotion announcement! In his previous position, Jesse already made ...

19/08/2026

When Reagan Elementary in San Angelo, TX reached out to local restaurants for meal donations for an end-of-year event, it was a no-brainer for Priscilla Tarango, who is Restaurant General Manager (RGM) for our Knickerbocker Road Taco Bell 10 minutes away. According to Priscilla, her restaurant team regularly donates to surrounding schools, the local fire department, and volunteers of San Angelo’s annual Tour of Lights. They also showed up for the community during last year’s floods. Being a part of something bigger than us has always been important at DDO. Thank you to Priscilla and her team for stepping up and making a difference.

When Reagan Elementary in San Angelo, TX reached out to local restaurants for meal donations for an end-of-year event, it was a no-brainer for Priscilla Tarango, who is Restaurant General Manager (RGM) for our Knickerbocker Road Taco Bell 10 minutes away. “I try to help out in the community when n...