Area Coach (AC) Amanda Hobbs joined our company as a Restaurant General Manager (RGM) in 2012 and swiftly moved up the ladder. Today, with 20 years of experience with multiple restaurant brands, she oversees all of our Taco Bells from Mounds View, MN up to Andover. It didn’t take her long to get in a groove and discover her passions.
“I really love the fact that we have the chance to change people’s lives,” she says.
Amanda is passionate about Border Foods’ internal promotion process. She says watching others get promoted is what motivated her to work hard and set goals. We promote from within all the time — check out Hamdi Abshir’s story or Dominic Pagan’s journey with Taco Bell!
“It is achievable,” she says. Her advice? Work hard, don’t be afraid of feedback and be open to mentoring.
THEN & NOW
Amanda admits that she was once a little “spicy.” She says having people take time to “chip away” at her roughness allowed her to grow and had a really big impact on her life. Now, she’s paying it forward!
“There [isn’t] really a cap on promoting and developing,” she shares. “I really want to help develop people to be managers … support people through their lives so they shine bright.”
“If you train your people to use tools and follow the routines, they can achieve amazing things.” – Amanda Hobbs, Area Coach
Amanda touts Border Foods’ culture of believing in people and equipping them with the right tools to lead. Our new EmpowHER women’s initiative is a clear example. Amanda is especially grateful that she’s been empowered to run Area 9 the way she wants with the guidance of our core values.
“Being able to use what I know, and what I’m passionate about … I really love that about Border,” she shares. “I love my job.”
Amanda admits she hopes to be named “Area Coach of the Year” someday. For now, she’s focusing on fine tuning routines and continuing to instill excellence in her teams. Not a bad idea. Keep it up, Amanda!
