Executive Spotlight: Mark Peterson, Co-Founder of Desert De Oro Foods (2027)
Mark Peterson is a co-founder of Desert De Oro Foods (DDO), a Kingman, Arizona franchisee of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants. He co-founded the company in 1982 with Krystal Burge, when they bought the rights to develop a single Taco Bell in Kingman, and he opened the company's second restaurant in nearby Bullhead City in 1985.
DDO describes itself as operating more than 350 restaurants and employing over 9,000 team members, and a 2025 conference bio credits Peterson with more than four decades as a Taco Bell franchisee. This page covers public professional information only, drawn from company pages and a conference speaker bio. Because Mark Peterson is a common name, every source here was checked to be about the Desert De Oro Foods co-founder.
Current role and company
DDO's team page lists Peterson as a co-founder with 43 years at the company, working across all of its brands. The 2025 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference speaker page titles him "Co-Founder, Desert De Oro Foods". Other leaders on the team page carry President titles, so this page uses the co-founder title rather than a president title.
- CompanyDesert De Oro Foods (DDO), headquartered in Kingman, Arizona (DDO Our Story page). A franchisee, not a franchisor.
- TitleCo-Founder (DDO team page; 2025 conference speaker page).
- Brands named by DDOTaco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, plus the Fork in the Road sit-down restaurant group (team page, conference bio, Then & Now page). An earlier Our Story timeline also lists Dickey's BBQ.
- States on the Our Story timelineArizona, California, Utah and Texas; the Then & Now page also mentions new Taco Bells in New England in 2025.
Career path
- First Taco Bell, Kingman, 1982. DDO says Peterson and Krystal Burge used college savings to buy the rights to develop one Taco Bell in Kingman, and worked in that first restaurant together for three years.
- Bullhead City, 1985. Peterson opened and operated the second restaurant in Bullhead City, Arizona, while Burge ran the Kingman location.
- Ten restaurants, by the mid-1990s. The Our Story timeline lists eight more Taco Bells in western Arizona and two in southeastern California over the following decade; the conference bio says the company grew to ten restaurants.
- Phoenix, 1997. DDO acquired 26 restaurants in the Phoenix metro area; the conference bio says they came from Taco Bell's Asset Optimization Program.
- Industry boards. The 2025 speaker bio says Peterson formerly served on the FRANMAC board and chaired the RSCS Co-op Board, and currently serves on the boards of Foodservice Insurance Group, Inc. and the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens.
What Peterson is known for
- Building Arizona's largest Taco Bell franchisee. A 2021 DDO post describes the company as Arizona's largest Taco Bell franchisee, then listing 80 Taco Bell and 47 Pizza Hut franchises; the company has grown since.
- Growth by acquisition. DDO's timeline lists 7 units in central Arizona (1999), 14 Taco Bells in central and southern Utah (2008, later 30 in Utah), 5 units in Yuma and El Centro (2009) and 34 Taco Bell and co-branded restaurants in San Antonio, Texas (2015).
- Adding Pizza Hut. DDO acquired 40 Pizza Hut restaurants in the Phoenix area in 2010, reached 57 in 2013 and 89 in 2018 after buying 25 more.
- Hands-on start. DDO's team page says Peterson served in every role at the first Taco Bell, from janitor and team member to maintenance and manager.
Leadership style and philosophy
The sources found for this page contain no direct quotes from Peterson, so this page does not attribute a leadership philosophy to him in his own words. DDO's own materials describe a hands-on, entrepreneurial start and list three company values: Passionate, Committed and Ethical. The Then & Now page also says the company is bringing in a new generation of leaders.
Key numbers
Figures are company-reported, each with its source and date where known. They are not audited, and DDO's own pages use different totals, so check current sources.
- Our Story page (undated)Four brands and over 300 stores (DDO Our Story page).
- 2021 post80 Taco Bell and 47 Pizza Hut franchises (DDO news post, Mar 26, 2021).
- 2025 conference bioMore than 350 Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants across multiple states (Restaurant Finance & Development Conference).
- Late 2025 (Then & Now page)More than 350 restaurants and over 9,000 team members; seven Taco Bells finished in New England in 2025.
Questions people ask
Who is Mark Peterson of Desert De Oro Foods?
Mark Peterson is a co-founder of Desert De Oro Foods, a Kingman, Arizona franchisee of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants, which he started with Krystal Burge in 1982.
What does Desert De Oro Foods do?
DDO owns and operates franchised Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants, plus a group of sit-down restaurants called Fork in the Road. It is a franchisee and does not franchise a brand of its own.
When was Desert De Oro Foods founded?
DDO's timeline dates the company to 1982, when its first Taco Bell opened in Kingman, Arizona. Some third-party data sites list different incorporation years.
How many restaurants does DDO operate?
DDO and a 2025 conference bio describe more than 350 restaurants. An older 2021 post listed 80 Taco Bell and 47 Pizza Hut franchises, so totals have changed over time.
What boards does Mark Peterson serve on?
A 2025 speaker bio says he serves on the boards of Foodservice Insurance Group, Inc. and the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, and formerly served on the FRANMAC board and chaired the RSCS Co-op Board.
Sources
- Desert De Oro Foods: Our Story · 1982 start, 1985 Bullhead City, acquisition timeline, brands and states
- Desert De Oro Foods: Then & Now · 350-plus restaurants, 9,000-plus team members, 2025 New England build
- Desert De Oro Foods: Team · Co-founder title, 43 years, first-restaurant roles, three values
- Desert De Oro Foods: Desert de Oro Foods (Mar 26, 2021) · 80 Taco Bell and 47 Pizza Hut franchises; Arizona's largest Taco Bell franchisee
- Restaurant Finance & Development Conference: Mark Peterson, Co-Founder, Desert De Oro Foods (2025 speaker page) · Bio, board service, 350-plus restaurants; source of the hero photo
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is the solo speaker photo from the 2025 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference page, where the image file name reads Mark Peterson, Co-Founder, Desert De Oro Foods; it is centered on a page-format card because the original is a tall portrait. Photo: Desert De Oro Foods (via the conference speaker page). This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Desert De Oro Foods (via Restaurant Finance & Development Conference speaker page)