Eddie Carrillo is no stranger to Golden Bell wins. He’s led the team at MRCO’s Vanderbilt Taco Bell-Pizza Hut Express to not one, two or three nationwide wins – but four to date! And last year, he was named Franchisee RGM of the Year! This month, we celebrate this impressive streak.
Golden Bell is truly a team achievement – it’s considered the highest honor within the Taco Bell system, where restaurants and their leaders are evaluated on supreme ratings, transaction growth and guest reviews. We caught up with Eddie after he threw his team an appreciation party, catering in food and celebrating with a Bell-e-bration cake.
“I was really inspired when I came back from last year’s Golden Bell.”
– Eddie Carrillo, RGM
When asked how he motivates his team, Eddie says he aims to show support all year long, not just in the moment. He tries to be there for team members and in return, he says, they do the same when it comes to operations and the business. Win-win!
Aloha, Well Earned
As Restaurant General Manager (RGM) of a Golden Bell-worthy location, there’s an extra craveable perk from Taco Bell Corporate for award-winning performance – the top RGMs across the country are rewarded with a trip to Hawaii. Four Golden Bell honors means this is Eddie’s fourth time to Hawaii!
In past years, Eddie has enjoyed sponsored activities like snorkeling, touring local farms, taking a cruise ship out to see marine life and checking out resort wellness programs while embracing the perks of an all-expenses paid trip. Read more about last year’s trip!
This time around, Eddie says he and his “plus one” are looking forward to rest. But they will still take advantage of an organized hike of Maui’s Haleakalā Volcano, too! He says the hike is early so they can catch the sunrise from the top.
Tips & Tricks
So how can you land yourself a trip to Hawaii? First, you can’t win if you don’t join! Check out our current job opportunities.
To become an award-winning leader at MRCO, you have to be committed to your work and the team’s success. Eddie offers more wisdom.
“First thing I would say is you have to set goals,” Eddie shares. “Not only that, but you also have to have a plan for how you’re going to reach those goals.”
In Eddie’s case, he says that when he came back from last year’s reward trip energized, he and his Area Coach harnessed his renewed passion and put a plan in place for more chances for achievement.
Their plan transitioned Eddie from his comfortable “home base” at Vanderbilt to two traditional Taco Bell settings (Vanderbilt is inside a children’s hospital) to gain new experience. He was away from his team for about two months, assisting with mentoring, coaching and recruiting for these other locations.
“I was very happy at the end of the year because those two locations became Signature Restaurants,” Eddie says, proud of the achievement. He shares that what’s more, he had the pleasure of seeing people he helped train or recruit get promoted in a short amount of time..
Today, Eddie is happy to be back with his team at Vanderbilt. He says that the time away made him appreciate them even more.”You develop a relationship with the employees,” he explains. “They already know your expectations, know your standards …”
And in Vanderbilt’s case, they know how to win! Congratulations on securing another Golden Bell!
