– BORDER FOODS –

A TACO BELL FRANCHISEE

  • Coming in 2026: Our Biggest Scholarship Giveaway Yet!

    Coming in 2026: Our Biggest Scholarship Giveaway Yet!

    On September 16, we hosted our third annual Swinging for Scholarships golf tournament, a charity event that continues to grow every year. This year, we raised nearly $130,000 in sponsorships alone, our biggest numbers yet!

    Here at Border Foods, we’re humbled by the ongoing participation and generosity of our incredible sponsors and vendor partners.

    Every single dollar raised is put toward funding our Carol Williams Scholarship by Border Foods program, which supports team members’ educational aspirations.

    “What makes me the most excited about this day is being able to give out even more scholarships than we ever have before,” says President and CEO Aaron Engler. 

    We’re giving away $130,000 in 2026!

    According to Mollie Sommer, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, because of the success of the event, we’re able to give away three times MORE in scholarship funds than we were before its launch. That means more hope and opportunity for ambitious people in our restaurants!

    Event Highlights

    Upon arrival at Bunker Hills Golf Club, excitement was running high. In just a few years, Swinging for Scholarships has become a support staff favorite; it’s an all-hands-on-deck sort of affair where many of our very own volunteer to help pull it off.

    This is the best day of the year.

    Max Corrigan, VP of Analytics & Marketing

    “Every year, we get a little smarter, a little brighter about how to make this impactful,” shares Chief People Officer Sharla Hennek.

    Each hole on the golf course is paired with an experience or fun activity. With 125 golfers trying to beat the day’s heat, we nearly ran out of Baja Blast and Orange Dream Freezes!

    The tournament wrapped up with a three-way tiebreaker for first, but our friends at A+ Outdoors stole the show. Congrats!

    The Impact

    For us, this isn’t just about swinging a club and hanging with friends, it’s about making a real, tangible impact in our people’s lives. It’s the live más way of making lives better for those who work so hard for us.

    This event holds extra special meaning to Max Corrigan, our VP of Analytics & Marketing and son-in-law to the late Carol Williams, the beloved namesake of our scholarship program. Max has been instrumental in getting Swinging for Scholarships off the ground and onto the greens!

    Get in on the Action

    If you’d like a piece of the pie, take note that the application period for our Carol Williams Scholarship opens in January. We’re aiming to hand out up to 12 scholarships in 2026! 

    Border Foods

  • Three Cheers for Shana’s 30 years!

    Three Cheers for Shana’s 30 years!

    Work anniversaries always call for a celebration, and this one is no exception. We’re excited to share that our very own Shana Burns — Shift Lead at the Sprinkle Taco Bell located in Kalamazoo, Michigan — just celebrated her 30th work anniversary with us! 

    Shana truly helps to make this place a fantastic place to work.

    Shana is an incredible asset to the Border Foods family, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the dedication and determination she’s brought to our company. We sat down with her to hear her story and learn more about what’s coming next.

    An Unexpected Opportunity

    When Shana started at  Taco Bell as a team member in 1995, she never imagined that she’d be starting what was to become her lifelong career. Soon, however, it became apparent to Shana that she could grow professionally with Border Foods. She climbed the career ladder, eventually reaching Restaurant General Manager (RGM) level, a position in which she led various Taco Bell restaurants over the course of 20 years. Unfortunately, after two decades, health challenges arose for Shana; luckily, she was able to continue working with us. Shana took a step back to become a Shift Lead instead — a position that has proven to be a bit less strenuous!

    As you can imagine, Shana has seen the Taco Bell brand undergo quite the transformation over the past 30 years. She shares that she’s enjoyed watching the company grow and change, citing menu innovation and new technology as updates that have stood out.

    Even as our company has evolved, Shana’s own focus has always remained the same: the people. 

    “You can have the best product in the world, but it’s the way you treat your customers and your team that keeps people coming back,” she shares.

    A Friend in Border Foods

    Shana and Border Foods share a lot of the same values, which is a huge reason why Shana has stayed with us so long. Shana truly embodies all six of our core values, but one stands out the most: excellence. 

    When she’s at work, Shana lives by the phrase, “act like an owner.” She shares this mindset with her team, and encourages them to take accountability for what they bring to work every day. This mentality not only makes Border Foods a great place to work, Shana says, it also motivates her team to make the business the best it can possibly be.

    Thinking about the Future

    Shana isn’t sure where the road ahead leads. What she does know, however, is that no matter what her next step is, she’ll be happy.

    Congratulations again, Shana. We couldn’t be more grateful for all of your contributions!

    Border Foods

  • Meet Crystal, The Accounting Creative

    Meet Crystal, The Accounting Creative

    Crystal Kovach says she’s very much an accountant and a perfectionist, two terms she uses as if they’re synonymous. That’s stellar news, considering we put her in our accounting department!

    But beyond Crystal’s daily number crunching as an Accounts Payable Specialist, it’s what she’s been whipping up on the side that’s getting her extra attention at Border Foods. For the past year, Crystal has been dabbling in special event decor for us, creating balloon arches and garlands, button pins, banners, homemade ornaments, centerpieces, and cardstock creations — all just for fun.

    At Border Foods, we want team members to live más in all facets of their lives — and unleash their passions!

    For Crystal, it all started with throwing baby showers for co-workers and just took off from there. She’s now volunteered her creative talents for several company events, including our 250th restaurant celebration and the retirement of one of our longtime Region Coaches. Crystal’s most recent gig was creating decor for our third annual Swinging for Scholarships golf tournament!

    Crystal doesn’t want the company to feel forced into utilizing her talents, though, she says it’s just become a really meaningful creative outlet for her.

    From Career Pursuits to Creative Outlets

    Crystal has spent most of her career in foodservice accounting, most recently at the University of Minnesota. She joined the Border Foods family about three years ago. She says she’s always loved graphic design, and originally wanted to major in business management and interior design. Creativity has always found a place in her life.

    In fact, a little over a decade ago, when she had a small child at home and was caring for a sick parent, Crystal took a break from accounting to start her own invitation business on Etsy.

    Her business was profitable from the start, but she soon found she couldn’t hire fast enough to meet demand and maintain her high standards. The result? Stress quickly took all the enjoyment away.

    “When I did the business it took everything out of me,” Crystal confesses. She realized she needed to go back to “a solid, safe zone” — solid income, a security net — and that’s how she landed back in the professional world.

    But she couldn’t ignore her passion for creative projects. “I learned from my mother how to care about people and make them feel special,” she shares. This is what inspires her ideas.

    For Crystal, tapping into her creative side makes her feel good because she knows it’s helping to make other people in the company feel special. Decorations, she says, set the mood for any gesture of appreciation.

    In return, Crystal says in doing “one little thing in her own time,” she feels supported and appreciated by her supervisor.

    We’re so lucky to have Crystal’s multifaceted talents on our team!

    Border Foods

  • Border Foods Opens Newest Sioux Falls, SD Taco Bell 

    Border Foods Opens Newest Sioux Falls, SD Taco Bell 

    We celebrated our “sweet 16” in Sioux Falls, SD as we opened our 16th Taco Bell in the state and 252nd restaurant in the Upper Midwest! Our newest location at 8340 W. 41st Street. openedAugust 26.

    “In 2015, we acquired our first Taco Bell restaurant in Sioux Falls,” says Border Foods President and CEO Aaron Engler. “Now, 10 years later, we’re beyond excited to be opening and can’t wait to welcome local taco fans with the bold flavors and fast, friendly service they’ve come to love.”

    To celebrate the new Sioux Falls location opening, the first 50 guess received a free No. 1

    combo meal. Did we mention we’re hiring?

    Order a meal and get a job when you apply to join our team! Positions available at the Sioux Falls location range from cashiers and cooks to Shift Leads and restaurant management. As a family-owned franchisee with a people-first culture, we pride ourselves on setting team members up for long-term career success. Good food, great jobs — can’t lose!

    Border Foods

  • Coming Soon: Our 100th Minnesota Taco Bell!

    Coming Soon: Our 100th Minnesota Taco Bell!

    This month, we break ground on the 100th Taco Bell restaurant in Minnesota, which will be located in Ramsey, MN.

    “I’m excited to be a part of this monumental event,” says Chief Operations Officer (COO) Vince Bosscher. “I was here for our 200th store, I was here when we added a store in our tenth state … now, to celebrate 100 restaurants in our hometown state of Minnesota — where it all began — is amazing!”

    This summer, be a part of
    Border Foods’ history!

    Vince shares that much of the satisfaction with this restaurant project comes from the fact that in adding a new location, our company gets to invest in more jobs and more people in the state “that has been so good to Border Foods.”

    The Ramsey Taco Bell is scheduled to open this fall.

    Minnesota Road Trip Anyone?

    In honor of this latest company milestone, we’ve pulled together a fun way to get Taco Bell fans and their families involved! Hop in the car for a little summer road trip around the state to collect stamps from various Taco Bells throughout Minnesota.* Twenty stamps on your passport earns you a free commemorative t-shirt!

    Get all the details on the summer passport challenge here. Note: You must download and print our “passport” to participate.

    Ready to road trip? Let’s get going! 

    *Border Foods’ passport challenge excludes the Marshall, MN Taco Bell.

    Border Foods

  • Border Breaks Sales Records in Williston, ND!

    Border Breaks Sales Records in Williston, ND!

    If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to open a brand new Taco Bell restaurant, “Excited, nervous, a little tired,” is how Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Trey Moody summed up his feelings about the grand opening of Border Foods’ much anticipated Taco Bell in Williston, ND.

    Supported by Border, Trey moved his wife and 4-year-old daughter from Bismarck, ND to Williston to pursue this career opportunity. It’s safe to say they’ve been welcomed with open arms. “Williston’s been waiting for a Taco Bell for 20-plus years,” Trey shares.

    If you have Taco Bell gear on, you’re a celebrity in Williston.

    Deb Fraser, Region Coach

    Planning for Success

    The Williston Taco Bell is currently surrounded by a fair amount of development, but Region Coach (RC) Deb Fraser wasn’t going to let a little roadwork get in the way of our Day One sales goals. She worked with the city to redirect traffic, ensure visible sign placement and open roads just for the occasion!

    The result? We’re thrilled to share that Williston broke our opening day sales goal! The previous record was set by our Taco Bell Defy opening in June 2022!

    In addition to directing traffic, we also brought in teams from North Dakota, Michigan and western Minnesota to help support sales on opening day. “Best of the best tacos serving this great town,” Deb says.

    Williston has been so supportive of our new Taco Bell. – Deb Fraser, Region Coach

    Deb Fraser, Region Coach

    Warm Welcome

    Not only has the city of Williston been waiting years for a Taco Bell, we’ve been waiting years to open one! This combined excitement made for a thrilling grand opening for everyone involved. “This town has been buzzing,” Deb says. “It’s been super fun.” 

    This has been a long time coming for our community.

    Brockelle Otte, President & CEO of Williston Area Chamber of Commerce.

    And boy did this town turn out for tacos! Guests were lined up as early as 8 a.m. with some proudly showing off Taco Bell-themed tattoos!

    Also in attendance was the President & CEO of the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce, Brockelle Otte. “There is a lot of excitement and hype for Taco Bell today,” she shares. 

    Opening a new Taco Bell restaurant is about more than just bringing tacos to town. “It’s a great sign of economic growth,” says Brockelle. “It’s really signifying that Williston is on the ‘up and up’ and I’m excited to see it.”

    Thanks for the kind reception, Williston! 

    Border Foods

  • Pam Hare: Leading Changed Her Life

    Pam Hare: Leading Changed Her Life

    This month we bid beloved Region Coach Pam Hare farewell as she transitions from leading Border Foods’ Region 1 — which covers western South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska — to a sure-to-be fulfilling retirement with her husband Greg.

    “I’m so proud to have played a part in the growth of Border Foods,” Pam says. When she joined us 14 years ago, we had just under 90 locations. Since then, Pam and her team have been involved in many acquisitions! She likes to say we “Border-rized” certain markets like Sioux Falls, SD; the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; the Quad Cities; North Dakota; Billings, MT; and Nebraska.

    Being a leader at Taco Bell completely changed my life.

    Pam Hare, Region Coach

    Pam will be remembered for many things around here, not the least of which is for her positive energy and embodying our core value of treating people like family. She’s been described as “the mother” of her region, always leading with heart and taking care of her people. In fact, she was one of our very first Heart of Border Foods award recipients.

    In her most recent role, Pam oversaw 23 restaurants in four states that employed roughly 800 team members. She swears she’s loved every minute of it! 

    “I honestly can’t think of a time where Pam wasn’t energized to be here,” says CEO and President Aaron Engler. “No matter the task, she shows up with joy, purpose and a genuine love for the work — leading, growing and building something with her team.”

    A Brief Career Overview

    Pam’s earliest passion was actually live animals, not tacos. Growing up, her dad worked for a veterinarian in their town. She remembers joining him on middle-of-the-night house calls to deliver baby farm animals and perform emergency surgeries. 

    “I was intrigued by all he could do to help or save animals,” she says, reflecting. Despite having dreamt of following in her father’s footsteps up until about age 14, she instead went on to work for her brother’s drive-in restaurant for the next eight years.

    At 21, Pam decided to relocate to Rapid City, SD, and quickly realized she needed a job. After applying for an open position, she was contacted by the local Taco Bell franchisee.

    “I had never even heard of Taco Bell,” Pam admits. But a 44-year career with our famous brand would take off from there, with her first position as a Shift Lead.

    “I was given the opportunity to lead people with Taco Bell,” she shares. “Working side by side with great leaders who mentored me brought out my love for leading people and helping others be successful.”

    Pam became a part of the Border Foods family in December 2011 when we acquired the Rapid City market.

    “Pam’s ability to lead with compassion, care and consistency has shaped one of the most financially successful regions in our company for years. And it’s no accident,” Aaron says. “She treats her team like family, and they show up for her because of it.”

    A Bright Light

    People are paramount to the success of our company. And Pam has always taken that seriously. According to her, her leadership style is centered around believing in others, giving them room to grow and letting them shine.

    “I encourage others to take the chance and be successful,” she shares. “What I do matters to me and I want it to matter to others. If I can help someone by having a conversation about my path to success, and give them the nudge to go for what they want, that’s great!”

    She lights up every room she walks into with her warmth, her smile and her presence.

    Aaron Engler, CEO & President  

    “Knowing you made an impact, no matter how small or large, is very gratifying,” she says of her time here.

    Relishing Retirement?

    Pam says people are what she’ll miss the most about this busy work life. “I will always value all the great relationships with my team, my guests, and my co-workers that I have made throughout my career.”

    But she also has some great things to look forward to! Pam’s list so far for relishing retirement includes:

    • coffee on the patio in the morning sunshine;
    • no itinerary for the day;
    • quality time with her husband, family and friends (and cats); and
    • bucket list travel!

    As for this last item, it turns out we have plenty of stops on the map! “It will be amazing to have so many people that I can visit on a personal level in 10 states,” Pam says, reflecting on how travel and her work family will continue to collide.

    Until then, we wish Pam well in this next chapter. Congratulations on a celebrated career with Taco Bell and our company! 

    Border Foods

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  • Border Foods Gives Back Big with Community Grants

    Border Foods Gives Back Big with Community Grants

    Each year, the Taco Bell Foundation awards millions of dollars in the form of community grants. These grants are distributed among youth-serving organizations in areas where Taco Bell does business. Specifically, funds are dedicated to expanding youth access to academic mentorship, career exploration, financial literacy and more.

    We believe that empowering young people is one of the most meaningful ways we can invest in the future.

    Lisa Lane Cardin, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation

    Border’s Big Impact

    This was a record-breaking year for the Taco Bell Foundation, and we were excited to be part of it. Border Foods awarded over $3 million of the $28 million total raised!

    These funds were made possible thanks to the generous contributions of guests, Taco Bell team members and franchisee owners. But just how does it all come together? 

    A Little ata Time

    We spoke with a couple of Border team members to learn more about the fundraising process. They shared that “rounding up” — the practice of asking guests when checking out if they’d like to round up their total to the next dollar (with the extra funds going straight to the Taco Bell Foundation) — is responsible for a huge portion of the money that’s raised each year. 

    Aaron Engler, our CEO & President, explained that we’ll see the impact of the funds that were raised right here in our communities. Rather than going to one centralized location, the money that each Taco Bell franchisee generates goes to local organizations of their choosing in the areas that surround their restaurants.

    Giving back to the communities we operate in has always been important

    Mollie Sommer, Community Engagement Specialist

    Uplifting Youth

    We spoke with Max Thao, Program Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs East Side, which is one of the many local organizations that will benefit from a Taco Bell Foundation community grant. He shared that that the money they receive will be dedicated to improving the organization’s college and career readiness programming, helping prepare participants for the real world outside of high school and beyond.

    In addition to local Boys & Girls Clubs, we were thrilled to present checks to a number of nearby Junior Achievement organizations, the YMCA of Rapid City, SD and more.

    A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this generosity possible!

    Please note: In order to make a larger impact in some markets, Border’s giving was combined with funds raised by fellow franchisee owners in surrounding areas.

    Border Foods

  • Border Foods Grows to 250 Taco Bells Nationwide

    Border Foods Grows to 250 Taco Bells Nationwide

    When you’ve been in business for nearly 40 years, you get to celebrate a bunch of awesome milestones along the way. Today, we‘re thrilled to share that we’ve grown to 250 Taco Bells in 10 states!

    No. 250 opened July 23 in Davenport, IA. Nicknamed “Kimmy” because of its location on Kimberly Road, those intimately involved in the Quad Cities market know this particular restaurant opening marks a company first. Border Foods entered the Quad Cities in 2019 with the purchase of 13 Taco Bells in the area, but this is the first time we’ve built and opened a brand new location there!

    In speaking with Director of Operations Kasey Baeza, it becomes obvious that it all came down to patience on this one. According to her, this opening has been made possible by the company’s dedication to stabilizing operations in the region. Up to this point, we’ve been running existing restaurants in the Quad Cities. But thanks to the investments made in finding the right people, strengthening the bench and maintaining the facilities in place, we built up enough stability to open our own store!

    Kasey says it’s hard to put the significance of this milestone into words when you think about the rich history of the company. When she joined us just six years ago, there were only 184 locations. 

    “It’s been really incredible being a part of this legacy,” Kasey says with a nod to Co-founders Jeff and Lee Engler. 

    Davenport’s historic grand opening included live music, a ribbon cutting, refreshments, a raffle for commemorative Border Foods t-shirts, and other giveaways. CEO and President Aaron Engler provided remarks, along with several local officials.

    Forging Ahead

    Border Foods continues to look at expansion, according to Aaron. Growing up in the family business, he remembers those early years “when Lee had a one-room office in the basement of an office building … just him and his assistant.”

    Aaron started working for our Maple Grove Taco Bell at age 15. “I don’t even know how many restaurants we had at the time, but there’s no way I’d have told you we’d be doing a ribbon cutting for our 250th restaurant!”

    Aaron continues, “Each restaurant proves we can scale without sacrificing our culture or the Border way. The 250th restaurant is the start to the next 250!”

    Opening our 250th location, it’s pretty incredible … success and growth has been built on truly doing the right thing.

    Kasey Baeza, Director of Operations

    “We want to continue to grow the Border family in every state that we operate in,” says Chief Operations Officer (COO) Vince Bosscher, who’s been with the company for seven years and remembers the 200th restaurant opening. “The more stores that we open means the more people we get to hire … which means the more lives we get to impact with career paths and leadership development. ‘Making lives better’ is something we love to do and we’re going to do it with tacos!”

    “For me, I’m just very proud of the Region 4 team, very proud of Jen,” says Kasey. “It’s been a journey … to get to a place where the company can really consider building a store there. [We] couldn’t do it without building a really stable foundation of people.”

    Wanted: New Hires

    According to Region Coach Jen Copeland, the hiring never stops! Though Davenport opened with a solid restaurant team under the helm of Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Brandon Wagner (a former “RGM of the Year”), we still have openings! Grab a taco and snag a job with a company who cares. Check out available positions here.

    If you allow people to be your foundation, they’ll continue to raise you up.

    Kasey Baeza, Director of Operations

    Border Foods

  • Will Run for Tacos: Taco Bell 50K

    Will Run for Tacos: Taco Bell 50K

    What event involves Taco Bell, edible medals and 31+ miles? If you answered, the Taco Bell 50K event, you’d be correct! On May 31, 50 participants ran 31+ miles through the Twin Cities metro with seven stops at Border Foods’ Taco Bell restaurants along the way! 

    Described as “nacho average marathon,” the course took participants on a loop through the Twin Cities, beginning at our Taco Bell in Bloomington, MN and ending in St. Paul. Stops along the run included Taco Bells in Richfield, Edina and Minneapolis. 

    This quirky ultra is all about combining fitness, food and fun!

    Julie Knopp is the runner behind the Twin Cities version of this race, and says her goal was for the day to be “as weird and magical as possible.” In keeping with that mission, unconventional race packets included Taco Bell-themed stickers and race bibs, hot sauce packets, and temporary “Run Más” tattoos. How far-reaching is this Taco Bell-themed race lore? One runner flew in from Alaska just for this event!

    Huge shoutout to the small but mighty volunteer team that made the first ever Twin Cities Taco Bell 50K possible! There was a makeshift aid station between two of the stops, where a person dressed in a taco costume could be seen handing out water, Gatorade and fruit. 

    Speaking of food, one might wonder how a person can run over 31 miles while taking taco breaks. The key to completing a Taco Bell 50K run successfully was to eat light food between stops, like Cinnamon Twists and Cheesy Roll Ups — nothing too heavy on the stomach. There are two food items participants were required to eat before completing the race: one Burrito and a Crunchwrap. Once participants crossed the finish line, racers were awarded with taco-flavored cookie medals.

    While this is the first time this run has been hosted in Minnesota, there is one in Denver, CO that has been running (pun intended!) for some time. Will they be crazy enough to do it again in 2026? Stay tuned!

    Border Foods