CLOSE
DRG, the innovative company responsible for dreaming up Taco Bell’s popular cantina concept, is excited to announce that our 30th Arby’s restaurant in the portfolio is an Arby’s food truck.
We’re taking Arby’s meats to the streets — on wheels! The truck will be the newest attraction in the city, serving Las Vegas and surrounding markets. Approximately 35 feet end to end, the truck pays homage to the Vegas culture, showcasing a custom wrap with an Arby’s poker chip and the words “Viva Las Arby’s.” In addition, the vehicle lights up like the old Vegas lights with 10 LED bulbs at the front of the truck. Customers can expect an elevated experience with the food they know and love.
“Vegas is a hub for food trucks,” says Jason Dunn, DRG VP of Operations — Arby’s. “We view this as a unique, on-trend way for us to connect with the community and allow guests to experience Arby’s in a way they’ve never done before.”
DRG’s new Arby’s Food Truck, like many food trucks, will operate like a restaurant throughout the day, popping up at various locations throughout the Las Vegas market.
Event planners and guests alike can expect to find classic Arby’s fare on our standard menu to start, including Arby’s roast beef, chicken and burger offerings, accompanied by popular sides and a host of refreshing beverages.
Now accepting event bookings for:
Keep a pulse on our whereabouts at arbysfoodtruck.com. Viva la Arby’s!
It was a truly electric summer as we opened our newest Cantina, “DTLA,” in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. A grand opening like no other, DTLA’s big night included a live DJ performance by L.A.-based Militarie Gun, free merch and unique giveaways. Nearly 750 guests stopped by the restaurant, from local foodies and social media influencers to Chamber members and news outlets!
“It was a really special moment for us, connecting the hip Cantina concept with such a vibrant downtown community,” says Sierra Burk, DRG’s Communications & Media Manager.
DTLA’s grand opening kicked off with an exclusive first look for VIPs, where Sean Tresvant, CEO of Taco Bell, was in attendance. Once we opened to the public, the first 50 attendees in line received raffle tickets for a chance to win the giveaways. And everyone that attended received Taco Bell swag!
Raffle highlights:
“It’s one of the most exciting Cantinas that we’ve opened to date.” -SG Ellison, President & CEO
According to Sierra, DRG’s marketing strategy for this restaurant opening was different. “We really wanted to dabble more on the social side,” she shares, given social media is the best avenue for reaching today’s Taco Bell enthusiasts.
And social buzz did wonders to show off our newest Cantina and events venue! Michelle Rome @michelleromephoto gave us a shoutout on TikTok. Jeffrey Woo @foodmento showed off our boozy drinks with a few food recommendations. And being highlighted by Eater L.A. really put us on the map!
The Downtown L.A. Taco Bell Cantina brings DRG’s cross-country Cantina count to nine. Located at West Seventh and Flower Street, it officially opened July 25 in close proximity to where our famous taco brand was founded. Every DRG Cantina boasts its own vibe. Leaning into a historically iconic music scene — where legendary bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Doors got their start — DTLA offers a relaxed yet elevated atmosphere. It aims to capture the essence of the city with music-centric decor and streaming Feed the Beat music videos. DTLA is also an event venue available for hosting private parties and events.
Stop by and hang out:
DTLA Cantina
801 W. Seventh Street
Los Angeles, CA
DRG continues to grow, and Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Tiffany McBride is along for the ride! We recently caught up with Tiffany at the ribbon cutting for the grand re-opening of her location, the newly remodeled South Fort Apache Taco Bell.
Tiffany has been with DRG for just over a year and a half. She joined us from a popular big box retailer, so she’s familiar with the world of customer service. Tiffany shares that she came to Taco Bell to experience something new.
She says there are a lot of reasons she chose the South Fort Apache restaurant — her team is one of them!
“I love the people I work with,” she says. And having a newly remodeled location doesn’t hurt either. “Now it’s more welcoming, more bright,” Tiffany says of the refresh. Guests have been loving it too!
While she loves the growth DRG continues to show, Tiffany doesn’t feel the need to pursue a different career path anytime soon.
Honestly, I’m content being an RGM,” Tiffany shares. “I think moving up would take me out of the store, away from my people.”
“I’m good where I’m at. I’m happy,” she says. High praise, indeed. If you aspire to find your happy, apply to join our team today!
Rich Wierzbowski is the Vice President of Operations for our Nevada market and celebrates a major milestone in the world of quick service. Rich has been with DRG for eight years, but it’s his commitment to Taco Bell, in particular, that we’re shouting out today. Not only is Rich devoted to DRG, he also brings 36 years of experience with the Taco Bell brand to the table. That’s a lot of insight into our favorite taco franchise!
Rich says that Taco Bell is the only employer he’s had in his adult life. His career journey started at age 20, when he moved to Nevada but was too young to work in a casino. There was a Taco Bell across the street from his apartment where he lived at the time, so he applied for a team member position, and the rest is history!
“One thing lead to another, and I never left Taco Bell,” he says.
Over the course of three-plus decades, Rich says he’s had “every role imaginable.” He already had 27 years of experience under his belt when DRG acquired his former employer’s franchise, and immediately noticed DRG to be more visionary.
When asked why he’s stayed all of this time, Rich points to the opportunities he’s been given to grow his career, as well as financial rewards.
“When you’re happy and you feel like you’re being treated right … you just kind of put your head down and just keep on plowing forward.” – Rich Wierzbowski, VP of Operations, Nevada
Rich is also quick to call out the impressive tenure of his entire team in the Nevada market. “We all grew up through the company,” he says. That bond has proven to be an advantage.
“We’ve been working together for a long time. I think we know each other very well, and that’s something that helps us out,” he continues.
Congratulations, Rich, for your impressive commitment. We’re lucky to have you on the team!
We’re excited to announce DRG’s latest leap into the future of restaurant operations. We’ve started testing voice AI in drive-thrus at two of our California Taco Bell locations, Yorba Linda and Lake Forest.
“A lot of individuals really don’t understand it,” Angel City Bell Sr. VP of Ops Bob Schalow says.
Bob explains how artificial intelligence (AI) works. “As a guest pulls up into the drive-thru, they are greeted with an AI computer basically taking their order … it allows the order to begin with AI and then if the team member needs to take over because there’s some confusion or the guest has a difficult order, we always have a team member ready to step in and help out.”
According to Bob, there’s been a healthy learning curve with the AI test and he says the restaurant teams have “grown to love it.”
Lawrence Kim, Chief Innovation Officer at Taco Bell parent company Yum! Brands, recently expressed to CNN how confident he is in the AI technology being used.
“It’s been exciting to be on the front edge,” Bob continues.
“We’re the first franchisee to do so in southern California and it’s had great results,” says CEO and President SG Ellison of the voice AI test.
At DRG, we’re proud to be at the forefront of advancements in the quick service industry and even prouder to be associated with a brand that is so strong in leading the way! According to this CNN article, Taco Bell parent company Yum! Brands plans to roll out voice AI to hundreds of U.S. Taco Bells by the end of the year!
Check back for more news on the results!
Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Jazmine Lucero had been working at Taco Bell for six years when DRG acquired her restaurant from another franchisee. She immediately noticed a change for the better. So what’s the DRG difference? “They’re so into their people. It’s great,” she shares.
Jazmine says she never saw the owners of her previous company. In contrast, the DRG leadership team is a consistent presence in her Taco Bell. They take the time to connect with each team member and even on the assembly line to help when needed. “That’s just a great support system to have,” she says.
“This company cares about their people.” – Jazmine Lucero, RGM
Jazmine was working as an Assistant General Manager (AGM) when the acting RGM at her restaurant left to pursue another opportunity. Her boss encouraged her to apply for the open position … and she’s been going strong for nearly three years! Jazmine admits that there were growing pains that first month, but her team was always there for her. “They’ve been really helpful with me and patient,” she shares.
If Jazmine’s team has a super power, it’s speed of service — something they’ve no doubt learned from their self-described, “fast everything” leader. “They try to keep up with me and I think that kind of like, pushes them,” she says.
That drive has taken Jazmine all the way to the top, earning her a spot on Taco Bell’s Golden Bell reward trip to Hawaii for the top 200 “best of the best” RGMs and Area Coaches (ACs). Jazmine is quick to acknowledge she did not get there alone. “Without my team, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now,” she stresses.
“If you have a good team, [and] they’re right behind you, that’s going to make you be successful.” – Jazmine Lucero, RGM
As a leader, Jazmine’s secret to success is her ability to drive results and create a culture of open communication. “We’re a team together. It’s not just me doing this,” she says. “If you have a problem, come to me directly and we’ll fix it.”
While Jazmine says it’s always hard to be away from her restaurant and team, Maui’s beautiful beach backdrop surely helps ease any separation anxiety! “I got to meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world,” she shares of her reward trip experience. DRG also whisks great leaders like Jazmine off on recognition trips of our own!
Being surrounded by great leaders was so inspiring that Jazmine came home with more than just souvenirs for the team in her suitcase. She brought back new ideas to try and implement in their Taco Bell. “It just makes me want to go harder,” she says. “I’m really grateful that they picked me.” And we’re grateful you picked DRG!
California native Bina Patel is the Restaurant General Manager (RGM) of our San Francisco Taco Bell Cantina, which recently underwent a remodel. We caught up with her after the dust settled on the restaurant refresh!
Bina’s love for cooking is what initially drew her to work in the restaurant business. She came to DRG with 15 years of experience working in a Taco Bell Express. What’s this foodie’s favorite Taco Bell menu item? The Vegetarian Crunch Wrap — that’s so San Fran! But it’s opportunity that has kept Bina with the company for six years.
“I believe DRG has great opportunities to grow your career,” she says.
Bina says positive feedback is what motivates her to work hard every day. But she doesn’t let a little negative feedback get her down either! Bina says she uses negative feedback as a learning opportunity to energize her desire to do better next time.
“I like to set up my goals and demolish them!” -Bina Patel, RGM
Bina currently has her sights set on breaking her sales goal for the year. And the key to her success is support. “My family and my team inspire me to [do] hard work,” she shares.
Bina also credits her Area Coach (AC), James Aman, for being a good role model. “His work energy makes me inspired to learn something new every day in my General Manager role,” she shares.
This may explain why Bina’s career goal is to become an AC herself. Bina, we look forward to seeing you crush that goal as well!
Garret Walti is the Director of Technology at DRG. Initially hired as an IT Administrator, Garret is a problem solver by nature. “I love seeing how technology can really drive bottom line profits and provide a more seamless experience for our customers and our team members,” he says.
“I love innovation … how we can integrate new technologies to streamline operations.” -Garret Walti, Director of Technology
Garret spearheaded the soon-to-be-released “MyDRG” intranet platform, which we’re preparing to launch third quarter. Billed as a “one-stop shop” for all DRG apps, the goal is to streamline communication for DRG’s frontline employees all the way up to our Executive Team. “It’s going to be a fantastic experience,” Garret promises.
Aside from planning MyDRG’s launch, another one of Garret’s big wins includes moving team tasks to the monday.com project management platform. He’s also moved the needle on phishing emails, decreasing the click rate from 25% to just 4%.
So how did a former SoCal resident end up working for DRG in Las Vegas, NV? Let’s just say, he made his way here in a Volkswagen Beetle. Garret’s Tech career began with Best Buy in 2003; he later went on to work for Geek Squad. After 10 years of experience in stores and in the field, Garret’s location closed in 2012. This set him on the path to starting his own IT Consulting business.
By this point in his career journey, Garret and his family were looking to get out of Southern California. “We just took the plunge and made the trip,” he says. Once his wife was set up with a job in the medical field, Garret decided he needed a new challenge.
The QSR industry took Garret by surprise, but he quickly immersed himself in it. “It was quite the experience learning QSR,” he shares.
“What I like about this business … it’s all about the customer,” Garret says. Having gotten his start in customer service, joining a restaurant franchisee felt like a full circle moment.
Garret describes his leadership style as grabbing the bull by the horns. And that’s just what he did — he immediately got to work at DRG. “Since taking over the Director role, we’ve completely unified our Technology Department,” he shares of the progress.
A clear communicator, Garret also made his career goals known upon his arrival. “I don’t want to be just an IT guy for the rest of my life,” he says he told his boss, Jason Dunn, our VP of Ops. He continued, “I have some goals. Help me achieve those goals.”
According to Garret, Jason did a great job of steering him towards that career advancement.
“What I love most about DRG is the culture of it being okay to speak your mind.” – Garret Walti, Director of Technology
As for his future with DRG, Garret believes the sky’s the limit. “My goal when it comes to Diversified Restaurant Group is really to be the authority on technology,” he shares.
Garret is passionate about innovation and technology, and how it can make team members’ lives easier. With innovation as one of our core values, this is music to our ears!
We caught up with our IT Operations Manager Jon Castro in Cabo where he was enjoying his first ever all-inclusive Champions’ Club reward trip. Jon has been with DRG since he was 15 when he started out as restaurant cashier. Now stationed at our Restaurant Support Center (RSC), he’s been our tech expert since 2007 (similar to Karlo whose career took him from cashier to financial analyst).
“It’s rewarding … to be recognized,” Jon says of his recent company-paid travel. “And fulfilling, after all the challenges of the last few years, [to] finally be invited.”
Today, Jon oversees IT operations for both our Taco Bell and Arby’s businesses. He oversees internal and external support requests, and manages the installation, support and integration of restaurant technology. He says he’s also recently started dabbling in project management for new builds and remodels.
Before securing a position in IT, Jon says his tech experience was very informal and included graphic design, experimenting with audiovisual skills and music video creation. He had some relevant electives in high school and college, and once built his own PC. He was also exposed to IT at home: His dad was a software programmer and his mom did a lot of data entry.
While Jon didn’t spend a ton of time in the restaurant setting, his two years as a cashier were essential for understanding our business and all of the pain points behind the counter. He speaks of the evolution of technology from then to now.
“A couple years ago, we were only doing front counter and drive–thru transactions,” he shares. “Now there’s those two PLUS kiosk[s]. You have digital, you have mobile orders, you have third–party delivery. So there’s now six to seven channels that we didn’t have before.”
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) has been exciting for the QSR industry, especially in the form of voice AI. Jon says his team is currently testing this concept in a few Taco Bells in the Southern California market. Also in the works is a new DRG app called MyDRG, a one-stop shop for team members’ job-related tools, including payroll, HR, benefits, company announcements and applications.
“We make technology important … we want to make it shine.” – Jon Castro, IT Operations Manager
It’s no secret that DRG has plans to grow. With expansion, we believe innovation and technology have to evolve in tandem.
“From the order point to hitting the kitchen to printing the receipts … technology is the backbone,” Jon says. “We need these things to succeed if we want to double in size and grow successfully.”
Jon says he loves working for DRG and gushes about the people. He claims the secret to his own success has been the loyalty and trust reciprocated between him and our company over the years, at every level.
Looking for loyalty? Look no more — apply today.
Three cheers for this year’s Champions’ Club winners, who just celebrated with a trip to beautiful Cabo San Lucas. These Champions were a huge part of DRG’s success last year and action drivers in their fields. We wanted to return the favor by taking “fun in the sun” up a notch!
“It’s rewarding … to be recognized. And fulfilling after all of the challenges of the last few years.” – Jon Castro, First-Time Trip Winner
This prestigious “club” aims to honor DRG’s top performers in a memorable fashion. We pull out all the stops to show our appreciation! Travelers this year enjoyed much-needed R & R at the luxurious Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Spa & Golf Resort.
Whoever said, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey” has clearly never been to Cabo!
Champions’ Club trip itineraries usually include a welcome reception, group dinners with the best cuisine in the area, time to explore the sights on excursions, and fulls days of leisure. Guests had the choice of attending an authentic “market to table” cooking class led by Juan More Taco Tours or enjoying a fantastic sailing tour.
This year’s reward trip concluded with an intimate farewell dinner at DRG Chairman David Grieve’s home.
“I’m really grateful that they picked me to be on here … being among [great leaders] just makes me want to go harder.” – Jazmine Lucero, First-Time Trip Winner
At DRG, we work hard to recognize our people for all the cool stuff they do:
