Taco John's

Technology

How drive-thru AI made a believer out of Taco John's CEO Heather Neary

The leader of the fast-food chain was skeptical of the technology when she joined the company last year. Now she hopes to bring it chainwide.

Leadership

Taco John's new CEO is out to prove you can teach an old restaurant chain new tricks

Heather Neary, named chief executive of the fast-food Mexican chain earlier this year, wants to modernize the brand in and out of the restaurants.

The Mexican fast-food chain plans to bring Presto Voice technology to more restaurants after it improved speed and ticket size at a test location.

Neary spent 15 years with Auntie Anne’s and most recently served as brand president at quick-service franchisee KBP Brands. She’s charged with ushering in a “new era of growth” at the Mexican fast-food chain.

The bar that owned the registration in New Jersey gave up its hold on the phrase, officially ending Taco Bell’s campaign to “free” the trademark.

The Bottom Line: The chain opted not to keep its trademark in a fight with the much larger Taco Bell, given the likelihood that it would ultimately lose. So it did the next best thing.

The company decided that it wasn’t worth fighting Taco Bell to maintain its trademark and said it would instead donate to Children of Restaurant Employees.

The company said that Taco Bell’s effort to cancel its registration is designed “to sell more tacos” and cause Taco John’s “to sell less tacos.”

He will end his six-year run at the top of the Cheyenne, Wyo.-based Mexican chain at the end of the year. The company plans a search for Creel’s successor.

A Deeper Dive: Barry Westrum, chief marketing officer for the Mexican fast-food chain, joins the podcast to discuss the trademark battle with Taco Bell.

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