Border: What are your pronouns?
Sharla: She/Her

Border: What is your current title?
Sharla: VP of Human Resources

Border: What date were you hired?
Sharla: 5/27/1992

Border: What was your title on the date you were hired?
Sharla: Assistant General Manager

Border: Why have you stayed with Border for all these years?
Sharla: The PEOPLE!!  I have been surrounded by great co-workers and leaders throughout all of my years with Border Foods.  I have had many opportunities to learn and grow and am grateful to be a part of the Border family where I feel valued and appreciated. I am so proud to be on the team, and want to “give back” and provide others with opportunities I have had during my career.

Border: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in your time with us?
Sharla: It would be the power of a single person to impact and positively change the experiences of those around us – taking the time to get to know people can make them feel important and provide a sense of belonging. It can be as simple as smiling and greeting people, listening to and talking with someone about a challenge they are facing, teaching someone something they didn’t know, or giving recognition for another’s success.  Each of us can do things every day that could make someone else’s life better!

Border: What would you say to a new hire, or someone starting their career with Border Foods?
Sharla: This is a great place to work!  Learn all you can from each person you work with, there are so many life lessons that will help you in your job and your career, whether you stay with Border Foods or you move on to other places!

Border: What makes Border different than other QSR?
Sharla: Border is Family – we celebrate everyone’s successes and support each other through challenges.

Border: What’s your favorite Taco Bell menu item?
Sharla: Chili Cheese Burrito is my favorite comfort food item on a cold winter day in MN – but I do love a chicken quesadilla with jalapeños too!  Yummy!

Border: Name three people at Border (employed or past employees) who helped you where you are today.
Sharla: I can only give 3 names?!  There are so many people who have impacted my life here at Border Foods:  Carol Williams was the most amazing human being and leader.  She believed in me.  She gave me opportunities to grow and taught me so many life lessons.  I miss her every single day.

Ken Lund has always been someone I can count on to give me honest direct feedback, along with an unlimited amount of support when needed.

Dean Detienne, the now retired GM of Menomonie WI, was set up as my mentor when I was first promoted to GM in St Cloud MN.  He visited my restaurant once a week for months, and answered my endless questions until I was confident in the role.

There are just so many more people I could name……I am sad I don’t have more space to list them all!

This is Barb Bunney, RGM at our East North Street Taco Bell in Rapid City, SD. She’s in her seventh year of service with us and says she’s does a little bit of everything: a little service; a little food; a little office management, training and teaching.

“I have had the opportunity to be at all [of] the stores in Rapid City, managing or setting them up from when they’re brand new,” Barb shares. North Street is where she’s worked the longest.

Barb joined Border Foods as an external hire, transferring into the quick service restaurant (QSR) world from the grocery business. In her former position, she traveled extensively which got to be too much with a family.

“You know when you’re gone 200 some days out of the year and not home, it’s just very frustrating,” she shares.

She’s found a healthier balance at Border Foods. Today, Barb manages her own restaurant and while she says she helps out at other locations sometimes, it’s not weeks at a time. 

“I love coming to work every day.” – Barb Bunney, RGM

“I love seeing my team, I love interacting,” she says. “I love to grow, I love to promote … I love to train and work with people, and help people the best I can.” 

A ‘Lil Winning Streak

To say Barb has had a great couple of years professionally would be an understatement. She’s just returned from her second reward trip in two years! Under Barb’s leadership, her Rapid City Taco Bell was one of 47 of our restaurants to reach best-in-class signature status this year. She was also named one of Taco Bell’s top 100 GMs in the country, also known as a Golden Bell winner. 

“We met every single metric in the best way we could,” she says. “We were not expecting it at all, we were just going to work doing our job, doing the best we can.”

Next thing Barb knew, she was on a plane to Hawaii for an amazing trip. And last year, as a regional “GM of the Year” for Border Foods, she and her husband went to Cancun! She also received the company’s Heart of Border Foods award, the highest form of recognition internally. 

Catching a Break

There was an unexpected hiccup in paradise. Barb unfortunately tripped on her last day in Hawaii and is recovering from a broken wrist. How’s it going? It’s been all hands on deck at work. According to her, Border Foods is the kind of company that will “push for you” and stand up for you. She cites her injury as an example.

“I can’t work with food but they made sure I can do something and stay busy,” she explains. “I hope I am making a difference for them, one handed.” 

“It’s an amazing company to work for,” Barb says. “The people are so genuine and so caring.”

At Border Foods, it always comes back to our core values. Barb says teamwork and family are her top two.

“They mesh together — if you’re family, there’s teamwork,” Barb says of company culture. We agree! We like to think we’re making lives better and with people like Barb on the team, we feel pretty confident we are. Join the fun!

At Border Foods, we’re lucky enough to have many incredible, tenured employees. After celebrating accomplishments at the Border Foods rally this winter, and after reviewing the list of folks who have been with us for decades, we think it’s only fitting that we highlight a few special anniversaries. Join us in a fun new series where we’ll touch base with employees who truly feel more like family. Next up, Gay Demaree!

Border: What is your current title?

Gay: Director of Operations

Border: What date were you hired?

Gay: June 10, 1992

Border: What was your title on the date you were hired? 

Gay: Assistant General Manager (AGM) 

Border: Why have you stayed with Border for all these years?

Gay: Opportunity, family, culture, passion to grow and to learn!

Border: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in your time with us?

Gay: Learn from your experience and from your mistakes, this is what helps you grow. Family is key. When we take care of each other and help each other, personally and professionally, we are making everyone and the company better. And lastly, your success is our success; the better you do the better the company does.

Border: What would you say to a new hire, or someone starting their career with Border Foods?

Gay: You can do anything; go anywhere you want to within the organization based off of your performance.  Everyone on the team adds value and growing within the organization is up to you. Your options are unlimited.

Border: What makes Border different than other QSR?

Gay: So many things! Below are a few of my favorites:

• • Culture and our family environment. Caring for our team is a priority for everyone! 
  • Doing the right thing  🙂
  • The ability to make lives better.
  • The ability to ask questions and offer solutions.

Border: What’s your favorite Taco Bell menu item?

Gay: Bean burrito no onion

Border: Name three people at Border (employed or past employees) who helped you where you are today.

Gay: This is a hard one

• • Carol Williams, Carol Williams, Carol Williams…
  • Ed Heskett
  • Mark Bloomquist, a prior employee who gave me a great deal of opportunity with opening new restaurants, which developed my skills, taught me lessons on coaching.  He hired me and introduced me to world of fast food and to teaching and learning from others.
  • Jeff Williams

At Border Foods, we’re lucky enough to have many incredible, tenured employees. After celebrating accomplishments at the Border Foods rally this winter, and after reviewing the list of folks who have been with us for decades, we think it’s only fitting that we highlight a few special anniversaries. Join us in a fun new series where we’ll touch base with employees who truly feel more like family. First up, Juli Sargent!

Border: What is your current title?

Juli: Sr. Safety & Risk Manager

Border: When were you hired?

Juli: 6/28/1982

Border: What was your title on the date you were hired?

Juli: Crew Member

Border: Why have you stayed with Border for all these years?

Juli: I love this job!

Border: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in your time with us?

Juli: Have kindness and compassion throughout your work day.

Border: What would you say to a new hire, or someone starting their career with Border Foods?

Juli: We have so many great opportunities here at Border. If you want to grow with us, the sky’s the limit. 

Border: What makes us different than another QSR?

Juli: Our leaders make decisions based on what is best for the employee

Border: What’s your favorite Taco Bell menu item?

Juli: There are way too many! I love them all, but if have to choose, I’d have to say the Nacho Supreme/Bellgrande 

Border: Name three people at Border (employed or past employees) who helped you where you are today.

Juli: Carol Williams, Jeff Williams, and Jeff Steely — thank you all!

For the last few years, we have embarked on a journey to grow our business from 80 to more than 200 restaurants. Today, we’re excited to share that the strategy we seeded years ago has evolved into what we are today – a leading Taco Bell franchisee with a meaningful purpose: To Make Lives Better.

As founders of this company, we’ve acted as CEO and Chairman together for years. And while we love being in the business, we know it’s time for yet another new Border Foods chapter.

We’re ready to welcome new thinking, a more collaborative approach to leadership, and more accountability across teams. We’re also eager to spend more time in acquisitions, a part of the business that we both feel passionate about. To that end, please join us in congratulating Aaron Engler in his new role as President and CFO of Border Foods.

Aaron has been part of the Border Foods family since he was 15, finding summer work in the restaurants and aiding the Facilities Department. Throughout his college years, Aaron worked with the Technology Department, learning the intricacies of the back of house, POS and office systems. After a few years as Director of Marketing at our sister company, Delaget, Aaron rejoined Border as Director of Corporate Initiatives, leading special projects across teams. Just last year he became Chief Financial and Administrative Officer where under his leadership, the Finance Department successfully implemented NetSuite, a new Enterprise Resource Plan across the company.

In his role as President, Aaron will lead the Leadership Team, where together they’ll manage operations, development, finance and technology. Aaron will report directly to the Board of Directors as we move into a Strategic Advisory role. This scalable approach to leadership allows us to build a bridge across departments, continue to move away from a siloed leadership approach, and make room for new ideas and strategies.

It’s time for the next generation of leadership to begin shaping the Border Foods future.

Congratulations, Aaron! We look forward to watching you grow in this role.