Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2015 | Page 22

D OM I N A T O R S RECONNECT
Love Field, and in December she opened
a second at DFW. She currently operates
10 different brands in 19 locations.
In early September, she was the successful bidder on a lease for a quick-service
barbecue space at DFW. “Chef Pyles and I
are again collaborating and we are bringing Stampede 66 Express to DFW,” says
Puente. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity of turning up a notch what people
perceive as quick-service barbecue. I am
not a typical barbecue lover, but when I
first tasted Chef Pyles’ brisket and sandwiches, I knew a whole concept could be
carved out to answer this bid.”
With all she has going on, Puente
keeps a close eye on the markets where
she operates—and beyond. “Watching
global shifts of retail and food trends, the

Her company’s
“unique-ability”
is to create new,
innovative concepts
into non-traditional
environments.
impact of Millennials and Baby Boomers,
and the changing needs of the traveler are
all the groundwork for why I have added
new concepts,” she says. “My company has
been completely out in front of the curve
on opening airport locations that offer
wine, healthy offerings, unique concepts
that pique interest, and, more recently, the

need for higher-quality food and drinks.”
She says her company’s continued
emphasis on chef-driven concepts, quality farm-to-table offerings, and craft
cocktails is not accidental. “When such
global leaders as McDonald’s are having
issues with their brand, and with the rise
of fast casual, these are the indicators I
research to determine what concept we
will open next,” she says.
Business is always front and center for
Puente, but it’s been a tumultuous time
for her personally over the past few years.
She divorced her husband, who had been
chief operations officer, and earlier this
year her father, Victor Puente, Sr., died.
“He was without a doubt, in addition to
being an incredible father, my mentor in
business,” says Puente.

PERSONAL
First job: Child actress in TV commercials and stage productions. I received
my first paycheck at the age of 9 for performing in South Pacific at the Dallas
Summer Musicals.
Formative influences/events: Raised in an entrepreneurial family, I was
mentored in business by my father, Victor Puente, Sr., who knew the value of
treating people with respect and had a great gut instinct. My mom, Virginia
Puente, was my female role model. She was a lady with moxie and assertiveness.
Key accomplishments: Creator of La Bodega Winery, the world’s first winery in an airport, in 1995, and creator of Sky Canyon by Stephan Pyles, which
opened in 2013. My company’s “unique-ability” is creating or adapting new
innovative concepts into non-traditional environments.
Biggest current challenge: Mining great talent is our current challenge.
Successfully obtaining annual growth opportunities for our company is not an
obstacle, however increasing our bench strength can be very difficult. Every
single day we are seeking quality people who are not intimidated by working
in an airport environment, who are flexible in their job tasks, and who have a
clean background to pass TSA requirements. The good news is that once we
identify and make offers, it is easy to see within 90 days if new hires will make
it in their roles long term. I have noticed that all employees either love or hate
being in an airport environment, which allows for long-tenured team members if
they make it past the first three months.
Next big goal: My business, like many others, went through an overhaul
in 2009 because of the recession. We were top-heavy in management before
2009 and in a structure that was not effective and unproductive in some areas.
I eliminated some jobs and outsourced others. Now because of growth and the
turn in the economic picture, I need to add the right bench strength to my management team. This is my current big goal.
First turning point in your career: The total experience of exercising all
skill sets in creating a concept like La Bodega Winery was an incredible foundation to have at the age of 27. The saying “an owner has to wear many hats”
definitely came to life for me with having to field regulatory issues, approvals
(state, federal, and DFW), meet and negotiate with wineries (getting them
comfortable with a anot