{"id":1609,"date":"2024-12-09T13:55:18","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T19:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tacala.com\/?p=1609"},"modified":"2024-12-12T08:39:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T14:39:25","slug":"tacala-decades-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tacala.com\/staging2025\/2024\/12\/09\/tacala-decades-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"TACALA DECADES COLLECTION"},"content":{"rendered":"

Naturally, the Holidays and Taco Bell\u2019s throwback items have us feeling nostalgic and wanting to reminisce on the past! As we celebrate popular Taco Bell menu items from the 1980s, 1990\u2019s, 2000\u2019s it is natural to wonder who was actually working at Taco Bell when the comeback products were in their heyday. Some of our Tacala Team took us back in time to their first year at Tacala! They shared some of their Tacala journey as well as major milestones from their first year on the job! Join us as we travel through the decades through our employees\u2019 eyes!<\/p>\n

\"\"Ken Guardino:\"\"<\/u>
\nOps Service Director
\nStarted<\/strong>: 6\/1\/1984(Taco Bell Corp)
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Steak Quesadilla
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Ken won the North Star Trip in 2010 and got to take his father to Cozumel!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>Lady Gaga\u2019s rise to fame
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cPoker Face\u201d \u2013 Lady Gaga<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lashay Barnett:<\/u><\/strong>\"\"<\/strong><\/b>Market Training Leader at North Roan Street in Johnson City, Tennessee Started:<\/strong> 7\/4\/1991
\n<\/strong>Favorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Chicken Fajita Grilled Stuffed Burrito
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Lashay remembers winning her first North Star Trip and going to Austria and Prague!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>Alternative Rock and Hip Hop were starting to get big in the music world!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cEverything I do I do it for you\u201d \u2013 Bryan Adams and \u201cSummertime\u201d – DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince<\/p>\n

Aaron Thomas:<\/u>
\n<\/strong>Team Member Trainer at Abingdon in Abingdon, Virginia
\nStarted: <\/strong>4\/30\/1995
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Chili Cheese Burrito
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Aaron got to dress up as Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars at his restaurant and take pictures with all the guest!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>O.J. Simpsons trial
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cGangsta\u2019s Paradise\u201d \u2013 Coolio and L.V.<\/p>\n

\"\"Melanie Brookshire:\"\"<\/u>
\nArea Coach in Tennessee
\nStarted: <\/strong>7\/17\/2002
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Chicken Fiesta Burrito
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>When Melanie was a Restaurant Leader, she got to bring her Assistant Leader to conference and watch his passion ignite!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>According to Melanie Eminem dropped his greatest album \u201cThe Eminem Show!\u201d
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cComplicated\u201d – Avril Lavigne<\/p>\n

Tonika Eady<\/u><\/strong>:<\/u>
\nShift Leader at Slappey Boulevard in Albany, Georgia
\nStarted: <\/strong>6\/9\/2004
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Meximelt
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Tonika\u2019s favorite memories are from attending her store\u2019s yearly Holiday party!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>Shrek 2 was released!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cBurn\u201d \u2013 USHER<\/p>\n

Beth Cornett:\"\"<\/u>
\nRestaurant Leader at Elizabethton in Elizabethton, Tennessee
\nStarted<\/strong>: 09\/15\/2004
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Beefy Crunch Burrito
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Getting promoted to Area Coach!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>Boys Bands like New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, NYSC, Boys II Men.
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday\u201d \u2013 Boys II Men<\/p>\n

Shurell Montalvo:\"\"<\/u>
\nRestaurant Leader at Slappey Boulevard in Albany, Georgia
\nStarted: <\/strong>4\/5\/2005
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>The Chicken Flatbread
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>When Shurell\u2019s store was hit with Hurricane Michael in 2018, she saw firsthand how everyone at her store worked together to keep safe and rebuild!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started:<\/strong> Carrie Underwood won American Idol!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cGold Digger\u201d \u2013 Kanye and Jamie Foxx and \u201cSince U Been Gone\u201d \u2013 Kelly Clarkson<\/p>\n

Jessica Beech:\"\"<\/u> <\/strong>
\nRestaurant Leader at Hixson Pike in Chattanooga, Tennessee
\nStarted: <\/strong>5\/15\/2005
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>The Baja Sauce
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Jessica and her crew has a snowball fight in the parking lot after work!
\nBiggest pop culture moment f<\/strong>rom the year you started: <\/strong>YouTube was becoming a major streaming app! Favorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cFeel Good Inc.\u201d – Gorillaz<\/p>\n

\"\"Debra Brown:<\/u>
\nAssistant Leader at WS Young in Killeen, Texas
\nStarted: <\/strong>10\/1\/2014
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Naked Chicken Chalupa
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Debra loves getting to travel and lend a hand at other Taco Bells!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cHappy\u201d \u2013 Pharrell Williams<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nBrandy Jones:<\/u>
\nShift Leader at Arab in Arab, Alabama
\nStarted: <\/strong>3\/9\/2015
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Quesalupa
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>When Brandy\u2019s store received their first perfect core score!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>Brandy remembers doing the hit dance the \u201cwhip and nae-nae\u201d with her nieces and nephews!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cSee You Again\u201d \u2013 Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth<\/p>\n

Jessica Hinojosa:<\/u>
\nArea Coach in Waco, Texas
\n<\/strong>Started: <\/strong>4\/15\/2015
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Cantina Bowl
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Getting to travel and attend the North Star Leadership Conference every year!
\nBiggest pop culture mome<\/strong>nt from the year you started: <\/strong>Jessica remembers Taylor Swift being the biggest popstar, in her opinion, and still loves her today!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cUptown Funk\u201d \u2013 Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson<\/p>\n

Tyler Lawson:<\/u>
\nRestaurant Leader at Corbin in Corbin, Kentucky
\nStarted: <\/strong>4\/22\/2015
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Grilled Cheese Burrito
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Tyler went to help another store prepare for their core evaluation and was surprised by his mentor Michael Byrd who offered him a Restaurant Leader position!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>The infamous Doritos Locos Taco was released!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cPayphone\u201d \u2013 Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa<\/p>\n

Jordan McCoy:\"\"<\/u>
\nShift Leader at Oneida in Oneida, Tennessee
\nStarted: <\/strong>4\/30\/2015
\nFavorite Taco Bell menu item: <\/strong>Grilled Stuffed Nacho
\nFavorite Tacala memory: <\/strong>Jordan remembers being promoted to shift leader in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic!
\nBiggest pop culture moment from the year you started: <\/strong>The internet was divided over the black and blue or the white and gold dress!
\nFavorite song from the year you started: <\/strong>\u201cStressed Out\u201d – Twenty One Pilots<\/p>\n

We hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane! Click here to listen to our decade\u2019s playlist – curated from our employees\u2019 top hits from their first year at Tacala!<\/p>\n