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Julie Felss Masino nurtures Taco Bell's culture of creativity to drive sales and defy expectationsJulie Felss Masino nurtures Taco Bell's culture of creativity to drive sales and defy expectations

Meet the Golden Chain winner

Nancy Luna, Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

September 27, 2019

4 Min Read
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Taco Bell is known as a zany, innovative brand that garners legions of fans all over the world. As Taco Bell North America president, Julie Felss Masino’s job is to ensure her teams, from field-level restaurants to product development, keep the creative juices flowing.

In the 18 months since Masino joined the Irvine, Calif.-based chain, Taco Bell has been busy. The brand has introduced a state-of-the art delivery program, launched a record-breaking unconventional menu item, tested a vegetarian menu and converted a California desert hotel into a Taco Bell resort. 

But it almost didn’t happen that way. When Taco Bell first approached Masino about the role, she didn’t even consider it. She was six months into a new role at Mattel and planned ...

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About the Author

Nancy Luna

Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Nancy Luna is a senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News and a contributing editor at Supermarket News. She covers the industry's largest and most talked about fast-food brands including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. As a veteran business reporter based in Southern California, Nancy has covered some of the country's most beloved food and retail brands including In-N-Out, Taco Bell, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Target and Costco. Luna is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton. When she's not digging for news on her beat, you can find Nancy regaling her fans about her latest dining adventures on her Fast Food Maven social media channels. Contact [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fastfoodmaven

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