A quaint city in eastern Tennessee is now home to one of our most modern Taco Bell restaurants. A recent renovation has completely transformed the McMinnville, TN location — and more importantly, our team members’ work experience!
Making an Action Plan
Our McMinnville Taco Bell is led by Area Coach (AC) Ashley Shockley. One of seven stores in her area, Ashley visits the team there at least once a week. However, thanks to the renovations these last few months, McMinnville has required a little more of her attention.
As the restaurant’s AC, Ashley was in charge of making sure everything ran smoothly during construction. One of the biggest challenges she faced was staff planning: when an MRCO restaurant closes due to construction, ACs place teams in nearby Taco Bells to ensure they don’t go without any work. To do so, coaches like Ashley must understand the availability and flexibility of every single one of their team members.
Ashley took this challenge in stride — and luckily, McMinnville’s location turned out to be extremely convenient. Two other Taco Bells in either direction of the restaurant were able to absorb the McMinnville team during the restaurant’s closure. Ashley split the team in two, wisely sending her Assistant General Managers (AGMs) with one half and her Restaurant General Managers (RGMs) with the other. “That way, [team members] still had leadership with them,” she shares.
A (Very) Fresh Start
Among the most significant changes to the McMinnville location was a complete gut of the restaurant’s kitchen. First, the front counter was moved a bit farther out into the lobby. This update, according to Ashley, makes the kitchen bigger and so much brighter. “[That] alone boosted the team and their morale,” she shares.
But upgrades didn’t end there: McMinnville also got its first walk-in freezer. Before the remodel, team members had to fit everything in stand-up freezers. Smaller, scattered compartments made it difficult to stay organized and efficient. Now, everyone has plenty of space for storage — and they’re ecstatic about it, according to Ashley.
Smashing Records
The McMinnville location officially reopened on August 13 and was met with an outpouring of support from the community. Although they didn’t open until 11 a.m. that day, McMinnville broke the single-day sales record here at MRCO!
“From the time we opened to the time we closed, [the guests] stayed wrapped around that store,” Ashley shares of opening day.
Better Together
Though all of McMinnville’s new bells and whistles are nice, they aren’t Ashley’s favorite part of the location’s upgrade. She shares that the highlight of the entire experience has been seeing her team’s reunion. “They were so excited to be back with their team in their store,” she says.
If you’re ever in eastern Tennessee, come check us out:
1405 Smithville Hwy,
McMinnville,TN 37110