Marco Ramirez is Restaurant General Manager (RGM) of DRG’s newest Taco Bell Cantina in San Jose, CA, which opened in August. He and his team just pushed through their first holiday season at Westfield Oakridge Mall, where the cantina is a mere elevator ride away from the movie theater (and hungry moviegoers).
According to Marco, while the mall offers plenty of dining competition, he believes the care his team has for the guests and DRG’s focus on safe, high-quality fare combined with speedy service is what sets his Taco Bell apart.
Marco wants his cantina known as a clean, friendly place where guests can enjoy everything “their way.”
Cantinas Got Good Vibes
Hey, the cool cantina setting can’t hurt! DRG’s San Jose Cantina boasts a retro look with a vintage movie theater display case, TVs, music, a “well-equipped” patio with comfy seating and a fireplace — a definite step up for fast foodies. Check out the pretty pink order pickup room donned with neon electric lights and taco designs throughout. When “Barbie” was on the big screen, it was coined the “Barbie Room.”
Like all of our cantinas, San Jose has proven a great event venue — NHL Sharks events are “full of fun,” according to Marco (DRG is a Sharks’ sponsor).
Marco hasn’t spent much time in a traditional Taco Bell — he bounced around from cantina to cantina for training — but he claims cantinas have a completely different vibe.
“We have fun every time we have a shift,” he says. “Guests come [in] more relaxed, looking to try new mixes with our freezes and stuff like that … we still run Taco Bell requirements in food but in a more fun way.”
Dine in, pick up, sit on the patio — there are lots of options! And like the rest of our cantinas, this location serves alcohol, perfect for spicing up any of our nine Taco Bell Freeze flavors.
More About Marco
Marco joined DRG in June 2022 after opening a non-Taco Bell Mexican food restaurant with his family (they own two restaurants and three taco trucks). Once their newest location — in Turlock, CA — started taking off and seemed adequately staffed, he moved back to the Bay Area. That’s when he heard from another Taco Bell franchisee about an Area Coach (AC) position. Marco remembers filling out several job applications at once; one happened to be for DRG.
He decided to accept an Assistant General Manager (AGM) role with DRG, with full intention to move up the ladder, and became RGM in March 2023. He was handpicked for the cantina from the start: interviewing, hiring and training a new team for the much anticipated San Jose location.
Marco finished up training while the new cantina was being built.
“It was hard work but very motivational,” he says of the onboarding process. He says his AC James Aman involved him in all aspects of preparation, even construction. He thinks that’s why he’s so attached to his cantina and employees.
Marco really believes that DRG is a people-focused company. “They care about you as a person, treat you well,” he says. “When I need support I have it. It’s a great company with competitive salaries and great benefits.
He continues, “There is a person in charge for each department, rules are very clear and training is important here.” Yes, at DRG, we believe in setting leadership up for success from the start.
We’re always looking for fun, reliable people. Apply today!
