Women's History Month

At Taco Bell, we empower our teams to be fearless, embrace different and drive change. We believe that each one of us has a story to tell. 

This year’s nationwide Women’s History Month’s focus is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, which you can learn more about on nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org.

To honor and celebrate this year’s focus and women at The Bell, we will continue to tell their stories and amplify their voices. We will share their stories every week in the month of March in hopes that they not only educate but inspire you to drive positive and intentional impact within your community.

But first, a little Women’s History Month background... March is dedicated as Women’s History Month in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia. In 1982, Women’s History Week was officially launched in the United States. Five years later, the entire month of March was devoted to acknowledging courageous trailblazers across all backgrounds – creating room to celebrate the cultural impact of past, current, and future generations.

Throughout the year, we will continue sharing the incredible stories of our Taco Bell teams; the sharing and celebration doesn’t stop here.

Week 3

Week 3: Restaurant #031484 - Window Rock, AZ

In the small town of Window Rock, AZ, there is Taco Bell Restaurant #031484 owned and operated by franchise organization, Delect Foods Tri-State LLC. This restaurant is on the land that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation, the largest territory in North America of a sovereign Native American nation.

They’re a close-knit community and every interaction is personal and real, which leads to a strong bond amongst the entire restaurant team and their community. “Our team gets along so well, they talk and laugh all while getting the work done... as if we’re a real family, which I think is the biggest key for the ‘well-oiled machine,’ as they say,” restaurant GM Melinda said.

Melinda shared some interesting facts about their restaurant: most of their team members are women and they have a lot of customers that speak their native tongue.

“We’ve become accustomed to working within a small community, either you know your customers personally or you’ll get to know them on some level. It’s very comfortable because we also get to stick to our traditions. Often, we have elderly folks come in and order and speaking the native language would help a lot in making the order process easier for them.”

She enjoys being able to work in a place where she can have a continued connection with her traditions and the women in her community. Because of this, she encourages her team to stay in touch with their traditions and never give up on their dreams to succeed – no matter what may come their way.

That’s why recognition is an important factor to implement with her team. With simple gestures – whether it be gift cards or delicious snacks – any form of saying ‘thank you’ or making them feel appreciated helps boost their confidence inside and outside of the restaurant. “Continue to develop new leaders and give them opportunities to communicate and develop their skills... [if you do this, they’ll] continue to strive for the best and to be the best,” she said.

This team has a strong bond and continually uplifts the women in their community; they support and encourage each other to try their best, have great teamwork, learn new things, meet people in their community, and in turn, stay connected to their roots.

Check out more people stories!