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We’re recapping the fun from our annual Champion’s Club reward trip of 2025! Each year, DRG’s Champions’ Club recognizes top performers who emulate our core values, leadership behaviors, and deliver strong results day in and day out. This year’s winners were whisked away for four nights and five days of rest, reward and reconnection at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos in San José del Cabo, Mexico.
Trip participant and Above Restaurant Leader (ARL) Sam Chima said it best, “This wasn’t just a trip — it was a reset,” he shares. “A reminder of how far we’ve come, and the kind of leadership it will take to go further.”
Guests kicked off the trip with a welcome dinner, and had opportunities for catamaran and cooking class excursions throughout their stay. Our time together was wrapped with an elegant closing dinner to toast to continued collaboration and operational excellence.
“I’m proud to work for a company that doesn’t just talk about employee value — it shows up in experiences like this. – Sam Chima, ARL
At DRG, it’s important to us to make space for team recognition. We view it as a valuable investment in our future.
“I’m walking away with renewed energy, sharper insights and a deeper sense of appreciation for what it means to be part of DRG,” Sam shares.
Who are we? DRG!
We recently celebrated the grand reopening of our Lenexa Taco Bell location at 16130 W 87th St. in Lenexa, KS. Guests were welcomed to step inside the newly refreshed space, which features upgraded services designed to enhance the dining experience, including ordering kiosks and a walk-up window.
“We were excited to introduce innovative digital features that simplified the ordering process and created a smooth, enjoyable experience for everyone.”
To mark the reopening, the first 50 guests in line received a free Taco Bell-branded frisbee or bottle opener, along with a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Taco Bell-branded pickleball set or tote bag.
“Our guests enjoyed a stylish new dining experience with exceptional service,” said Kara Ramirez, VP of Operations for Diversified Restaurant Group, Kansas City.
Guests savored Taco Bell favorites along with new menu items like the Crispy Chicken Nuggets and Dirty Baja Blast. The Lenexa location offers dine-in service, online ordering for pickup or delivery, and catering options for large groups. The restaurant remains open daily from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Albert Green is a Senior Area Coach (AC) in our Kansas market who’s been with Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) for four and a half years. Albert was recruited from a casual dining restaurant and he loves the transition to quick service and being at the forefront of Taco Bell innovation.
“DRG gave me the opportunity to prove myself,” Albert shares. “Even through adversity and some tough times, it was always clear that I was supported and able to strive for what I wanted to accomplish.”
“The growth potential here is REAL.” – Albert Green, Sr. Area Coach
Albert says when he first joined DRG as a Restaurant General Manager (RGM), his location only had nine employees. He saw this lack of staffing as a big opportunity. “Being able to staff the store and increase sales through better operations was a big accomplishment for my team,” he shares.
That’s just one of many wins Albert has scored with us. “Being able to come in and move up the ranks based on my performance was a great feeling,” he says of his promotion to Area Coach. He also appreciates how our Above Restaurant Leaders (ARL) are hands on and help solve issues alongside him.
Albert says his team is always finding ways to get better and improve — “good” isn’t good enough for them! “We strive to be No. 1 in our region,” he says.
Albert’s favorite part of the Senior AC role is being able to coach and teach team members, which also includes sharing in their success. “I love seeing people achieve their goals and dreams,” he says. “I work hard for them.”
Albert shares that his family and his team are his biggest motivators every day.
“Being able to positively impact the lives of our people is the best part of the job.” – Albert Green, Sr. Area Coach
Looking ahead, Albert hopes to continue to better the community and our company. His goals for the future are to keep moving DRG forward. “I really enjoy seeing my contributions to the company come to life,” he says.
If you, too, want to want to accomplish big things and make an impact like Albert, consider joining our team!
Brittany Walterman joined DRG in December 2017. Today, she serves as an Area Coach (AC) for our Kansas City, MO market, where she oversees seven bustling Taco Bells. It’s a role that’s not for just anyone given the area was once plagued by staffing issues, a shortage of restaurant managers, and challenges within certain neighborhoods.
According to Brittany, six other individuals tried their hand at this particular AC opportunity before she took over in July 2023.
“Every day’s a new day.” – Brittany Walterman, Area Coach
“The market was not so great,” she recalls. “I had to really build up the team.”
When Brittany assumed the Kansas City AC role nearly three years ago, she says four of her initial six locations were handed over without people in the essential Restaurant General Manager (RGM) role.
”Everybody was working overtime, closing early,” she recalls. She adds that the few RGMs who were in place were hard to connect with — she supposes they didn’t think she’d last!
But Brittany viewed this as an opportunity. “Because I didn’t have GMs in the restaurants, I like[d] the challenge … to hire and teach them how to grow,” she says.
So what’s the secret to Brittany’s resilience?
“Just having experience with Taco Bell and knowing how fast food really works,” she answers. “You have people and then you don’t have people, and then you have to hire.”
“The key to my success is not only what I know, but [what] I learn every day.” -Brittany Walterman, Area Coach
Support from leadership is also an integral part. “They give us all the tools — everything we need to succeed,” she says.
“The reason I wanted to become an Area Coach is because I wanted to help build the Kansas City market,” she says.
Today, Brittany says she remains focused on building up her team and keeping an eye on the restaurant’s star ratings. Teaching others is one of her favorite parts of the job. But she also loves showering her team with praise and recognition.
As for Kansas City, we ask Brittany how she thinks her market rounds out the company portfolio. “We kind of used to drag down DRG,” she shares. “But I think we’re adding something to DRG in a positive way.”
And Brittany is a big, beautiful part of that!
Education is a journey, not a destination. We’re proud to announce that DRG had 18 of our team members receive Taco Bell Live Más Scholarships in 2025! This passionate crew received funds totaling $200,000 to pursue their higher education goals.
Of the 18 recipients, 14 were first-time winners and four were renewal scholars, meaning they have won before. Please join us in congratulating this impressive group!
Eleazar Ibarra, Store 041616
Passion: Criminal Justice
Hoang Phuc Nguyen, Store 041543
Passion: Business/Entrepreneurship
Kimberly Rosas, Store 041595
Passion: Creative Arts
Aidan Edmonds, Store 034411
Passion: Technology
Arnold Mendoza, Store 039786
Passion: Medicine
Austin Coldren, Store 041601
Passion: Business/Entrepreneurship
Ernesto Gutierrez, Store 041606
Passion: Education
Isabel Lechado, Store 039803
Passion: Medicine
Julio Ugalde, Store 039834
Passion: Creative Arts
Kamila Castro, Store 030938
Passion: Communications
Lauren Atkinson, Store 034411
Passion: Science
Luke Tan, Store 039826
Passion: Engineering
Maritza Chaves, Store 039824
Passion: Aviation
Abhishek Soni, Store 041597
Passion: Agriculture
Evan Mertz, Store 031916
Passion: Business/Entrepreneurship
Jennifer Perez, Store 039842
Passion: Health and Fitness
Joshua Huynh, Store 036249
Passion: Aviation
Naomi Webb, Store 041600
Passion: Creative Arts
Maria Villicano is an Area Coach (AC) for Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) who brought 16 years of Taco Bell experience to the job when she joined us three years ago. As an AC, Maria covers a lot of ground in our Los Angeles, CA market. “I’m a little everywhere,” she laughs.
One thing that was not a laughing matter, were the recent California wildfires that impacted three of the Taco Bells Maria oversees. The Eaton Fire forced temporary closures of those restaurants, the longest of which lasted five days.
“The first two days were very, very scary,” Maria shares. “Employees couldn’t go back home, they had to evacuate.”
Maria immediately sprang into action. “I called the stores to make sure they were okay,” she says. The next call was to our Director of Operations, Isaiah Ritchie, who agreed to immediately close down impacted restaurants for the safety of everyone.
Maria appreciates the way DRG cares for their people. “They don’t just say it,” she says. “They show it.” In this instance, she says that DRG paid team members for any days they were scheduled to work and were not able to as a result of the wildfires. Many people were staying in hotels due to the evacuation order, and this kind gesture lessened the financial impact.
“DRG truly cares about every single person that’s part of their team.” – Maria Villicano, Area Coach
After a very tense few days, the haze lifted, literally and figuratively. “From there, everything just kept getting better,” Maria says.
Miraculously, none of Maria’s team members lost their homes to the fire. “I’m very grateful for that,” she says. And we’re grateful for leaders like you, Maria!
Meet Yiovani Rodriguez, Senior Area Coach of DRG’s Northern California Taco Bell restaurants. Yiovani joined our company an Area Coach (AC) two and a half years ago, but he’s been with the Taco Bell brand for nine.
While Yiovani is still a little bit of a newbie here, he’s experienced enough of our culture to appreciate it. We caught up with him to glean a few words of wisdom and find out what gets him jazzed about his day. Take a read!
Q: What brought you to DRG?
A: The culture and values! There’s no other company that can match it.
Q: Is there anything unique about your market area?
A: My region, brimming with orchards, vineyards, and farms, is a foodie’s paradise. It’s also home to many of California’s finest museums and galleries.
Q: When you look back at the opportunities that you’ve been given, does anything stand out about how you got here?
A: As Gursimran always says, “There’s no secret to success.” You just must create the right behaviors, show that you care for people, have a strong work ethic and be disciplined. (Gursimran Ghumman is DRG’s Vice President of Operations)
Q: What are you most proud of to date in your career?
A: To be able to work [in] organizations like DRG that enable us to diversify our skills and provide support for the growth and development of the individuals we collaborate with.
Q: As DRG continues to grow, what is your advice to others about how to grow with it?
A: Be patient and excel in your current position to become the obvious choice among your peers.
Q: What or who inspires you?
A: The daily interaction with our team in our restaurants is the one thing that energizes me. What inspires me is the fact that I work with a group of individuals who genuinely care for everyone around them.
Stephanie Juarez joined Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) when we acquired her previous company four years ago. Born and raised in Southern California, this Area Coach (AC) was a perfect fit for our West Coast–based brand. In the AC role, Stephanie currently oversees eight Taco Bell restaurants.
Reflecting on her time with us so far, Stephanie has only positive things to share:
“Throughout my career at DRG, I have consistently received strong support from my leadership team.” – Stephanie Juarez, Area Coach
Stephanie cites our strong culture and growth-oriented mentality for inspiring her career longevity. In that same vein, her goals for 2025 include continuing to grow the business while also providing opportunities for her team. “My favorite part of being an AC is witnessing the progress within my area,” she says.
Of course, some days on the job are less about growth and more about survival. Stephanie points to a time when she was new to the AC job and was assigned a challenging location. She views tough times as an opportunity to learn and get better. “It pushed me beyond my comfort zone and helped me grow professionally,” Stephanie says.
“Time spent in stores and the growth of individuals [on my team] truly warms my heart.” – Stephanie Juarez, Area Coach
Stephanie is inspired by her family to work hard and be a good role model. “I believe you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” she says. We’re certainly in good company with you, Stephanie!
Senior Area Coach Chris Castellanos knows leadership is not just a title, it’s a behavior. We caught up with him recently at our annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, NV!
Chris has been with Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) for nearly seven years, first joining us as an Area Coach (AC) in 2018. During his three years as an AC in California, Chris oversaw the Freeman area, followed by the Bay Area, before being promoted to Senior AC of Northern San Francisco.
“My favorite thing about DRG is [that] we’re a people company with accountability.” – Chris Castellanos, Senior AC
During his time here, Chris has attended five of our Leadership Summits, which means he has a lot of learnings to share! Chris says each of the guest speakers bring new tools for leaders to have in their toolkit year after year. He views his Senior AC role as being the middle man between corporate and our teams working in the restaurants.
“Every time I come here, I come with a purpose of learning something new so I can bring it to my team,” he shares.
Chris’ No. 1 piece of advice for his peers is to be patient. “Trust the process,” he says. “Learn as much as you can, ask questions and … always be willing to learn new things.”
One thing you can count on at DRG is a lot of innovation! Chris recently experienced this firsthand with the opening of our Ghost Kitchen concept! It’s the only ghost kitchen location within the Taco Bell portfolio. “That’s what we do in DRG,” Chris proudly shares.
If you want to be part of dynamic team on the rise, consider joining us!
Beginning on the luckiest day of the year, March 17, 2025, DRG leaders gathered together for three days of bold ideas, cutting-edge innovation and dynamic leadership to shape the future! As we celebrate another year of extraordinary growth and transformation, we set our sights on new horizons and limitless possibilities. Together, we’re an unstoppable force, driving progress and setting new standards of excellence!
The future starts here at DRG!
GENERAL MANAGERS OF THE YEAR
Alanna Wendt, Kansas City
Estefania Ortiz, So. California
Freddy Lopez, DRG Meats
Maribel Damian, Nevada
Teresa Marin, No. California
CANTINA GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Yaritza Navarro
AREA COACH OF THE YEAR
Albert Green
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS OF THE YEAR
Bob Ploughe
MARKET TRAINING MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Erika Saucedo
FIELD SUPPORT PERSON OF THE YEAR
Jasmin Taletovic
SUPPORT CENTER PERSON OF THE YEAR
Brittany McPherson
GEORGE PSAROS HELPING HAND AWARD
Lorenzo Ogas
CEO AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Shane Grant
Kansas City
Layla Awo
No. California
Alicia Perez
Carlos Portillo
Carolina Brandau
Ramneet Kaur
Sam Chima
So. California
Paola Heredia
DRG Meats
Alma Perez
Kansas City
Chantal Childress
Frank Arnold, Jr.
Jennifer Guthrie
Sandra Arellano
Victoria Shephard
Nevada
Allison Warner
Elias Gonzalez
Darren Espy
Denise Mcadow
Mario Gonzalez
No. California
Bryan Hermoza
Hermenegi Gille
Maria Lopez
Pedro Favela
So. California
Edgar Jimenez
Florentino Rodriguez
Jesus Alcantara
Juanita Zermeno
Kevin Park
Lucy Curtis
Vilma Carranza
Matt Caruso
IMPACT PLAYERS
Anne Jacinto, DRG Meats
Antonio Gurrola Alvarez, Nevada
Ernesto Figueroa, So. California
Giovanni Saligan-Munoz, No. California
Tony Morgan, Kansas City
Christie Glaeser
Click here for the full listing.
