Meet Martika Cox, our Madison General Manager with big goals for 2022. Martika got her start with Taco Bell 10 years ago as an Assistant Manager for a restaurant in Rockford, IL. When Border Foods acquired the location in 2015, everything changed.
“Before Border, we were just a number,” Martika says. “Today, I feel like we matter.”
When Martika made the transition to Border Foods, she also began supporting other locations. In 2016, on a visit to the Madison area, Martika made a passing comment to Human Resources Business Partner Corrine Kindred about wanting to manage a restaurant of her own. Two weeks later, Martika was promoted to General Manager.
At her Whitney Way restaurant, Martika says she’s constantly on the go. Madison, WI is a traditional “college town,” full of new daily customers. “There’s never a dull moment,” Martika says about her job. “I have an incredible team and I try to support them in every way possible.”
It’s Martika’s love for her team that drives her location’s results. Last year, she only lost two employees and kept her retention numbers in the “green.” She attributes strong retention to the way she manages.
In her down time, Martika serves as a board member for Free Sales for Families, a local nonprofit focused on hosting entirely free garage sales for community members in need.
When one of Martika’s employees found herself unexpectedly pregnant, Martika made sure the employee was supported through this nonprofit.
“We got her what she needed,” Martika says. “That’s just what we do for each other.”
Looking into 2022, Martika hopes the Whitney Way Taco Bell will become a certified training restaurant — a goal that would feed into her love of empowering people. And of course, she’s striving to make the cut for the annual Best of the Best trip to Mexico. “I’m close,” Martika says, reflecting on her goals. “I think I can get there this year.”
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