Marcus Byrd was merely a fan of fast-casual Mexican chain Dos Toros when he sent a LinkedIn message to the emerging chain’s CEO. A coffee meeting led to Byrd becoming the brand’s fourth corporate employee when the concept had just four units and was making about $10 million annually. Now, Dos Toros pulls in nearly $60 million a year and was recently acquired by Chopt.
With the acquisition, Byrd takes on the expanded duties of managing influencer relationships and partnerships, as well as overseeing events and branding for the chain.
“I’ve grown with the company,” Byrd says. “Now, I’m managing a six-figure influencer budget. … You have to have a willingness to be a jack of all trades at a small business, and then, as you grow, figuring out where your specialties are.”
As Dos Toros grows, Byrd keeps on learning. “I have a really strong background in customer acquisition,” he says. “The next step for me is to learn more about the loyalty and retention side. How do we keep people in the Dos Toros ecosystem and bring Dos Toros to even more markets?”