History

Desert de Oro Foods, Inc. was formed in March 1982 when brother/sister team Mark Peterson and Krystal (Peterson) Burge left college to pursue their entrepreneurial dream of building a chain of quick serve restaurants. With the support of their parents, Dean and Sonja Peterson, the pair purchased and personally operated their first location, TB 2083 in Kingman, Arizona, for three years before expanding to Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City in 1985. 

Vista Foods, Inc. was created in 1987 with the purchase of a single unit in Prescott and has since grown to five locations, including a multi-brand KFC/TB. In 1988, Mark and Krystal’s mother and fellow franchisee, Sonja Zee Peterson, left the family law practice to actively participate in the thriving company.

In 1997, under the umbrella of Hot Tacos, Inc., the company tripled in size with the addition of 26 restaurants in the Phoenix area.  That same year, DDO-Cal, Inc. was born with the acquisition of locations in Blythe and Needles, California.

A northern Arizona district was added in 1999 with the acquisition of seven restaurants in the White Mountain area.

With one of the most experienced management teams in the QSR industry firmly in place, growth and expansion continued at a steady pace. By the time the company celebrated 25 years in business in 2007, it had grown to 54 locations including multi-brand units with Long John Silver’s (LJS), Pizza Hut and KFC.

In 2008, the acquisition of 14 locations in Utah added another company to the Desert de Oro Foods family as DDO-Utah was born.

Another growth spurt in 2009 added six additional restaurants to our southern border region stretching from El Centro and Calexico through Yuma to Green Valley and Nogales. This new company was named Zee Tacos, in loving memory of mother, grandmother and franchisee Sonja Zee Peterson.

In the summer of 2010, the company grew again with the acquisition of 40 Pizza Hut units in the Phoenix area.

Through the years Mark and Krystal have received numerous honors and awards, including the Small Business Administrations Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Taking inspiration from their family and from brand founder Glen Bell, whom they describe as “a great role model,” both brother and sister hold fast to the belief that business has an obligation to provide a return to the community. Thus all locations are encouraged to be active members of the local chamber of commerce. The pair also takes an active role in the community, as well as within the Taco Bell Franchise Owners Association. The company is actively involved in supporting the Boys & Girls Club of America, as well as local B&G clubs and numerous other youth and civic activities.