Team Member Spotlight: Brian

Meet Brian, general manager of Summerwood’s Somers Point, New Jersey, Taco Bell. He joined the company about a year ago as an RGM after realizing he was no longer happy with where he was. You could say he noticed the Summerwood difference right away.

“By taking care of the people, they take care of their business,” he says. Brian adds that not only does Summerwood offer great benefits, like tuition assistance and bonus programs, and development training, but he’s witnessed the company go out of its way to support its employees through trying times.

And that gets Brian really excited, to be a part of a company that really puts people first. And has such noticeable energy.

”It’s a great place to work,” he says. “People really care about each other here… you don’t find that everywhere.”

As for his role, Brian strives to be approachable for his team members with an “open door” policy, so issues and questions get addressed right away and his employees are working happier. He says as a manager he does a little bit of everything but sums it up with, “I do a lot of hiring, training, retaining of great, amazing people — if I’m doing my job right.” Brian loves the development aspect of his job.

“It’s just so fun to watch like, someone who started as a 15-year-old high schooler move into a team trainer role, and then move up the ranks,” he explains. ”Even [getting] as far as general manager and they’ve been with the company for five, six, seven years, and they’re general manager potentially at like 21, 22 years old. That’s just awesome.”

It’s obvious Brian appreciates all of the opportunity for growth at Summerwood, especially the company’s recognition culture.

“We love promotion,” he continues. “There are a lot of levels and that’s why we continue to hire. We continue to look for great people so we can backfill all these promotions that we’re doing for deserving people.”

After working for a couple of other restaurant concepts, he believes Summerwood actually gets the recognition thing right.

Another thing Summerwood gets right? According to Brian, the chicken quesadilla. When asked what his favorite menu item is at Taco Bell, he answers without hesitation: “Quesadilla all day long.” Well said!