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Senior Culinary Manager of Churchs Chicken and inventor of the Honey-Butter Biscuit Tenders, Ada Duque joins Enterprise Radio to discuss her role with the iconic brand and the robust flavor she brings to her dishes and the restaurant industry.
This episode of Enterprise Radio is in association with the Food Industry Channel.
Listen to interview with host Eric Dye & guest Ada Duque discuss the following:
- In a profession that seems to be so strongly dominated by males, I’m curious to know how you found yourself in the world of culinary research and development.
- What struggles and challenges did you or do you face as a Latin-American woman in this field?
- To what do you contribute your professional success?
- The quick-service restaurant industry is pretty saturated. How do your recipes remain fresh and innovative?
- What culinary creation or product are you most proud of and why?
- What advice can you offer female entrepreneurs and women in business across the world?
In the last three years, Ada Duque has been the driving force behind new core menu items for the Church’s Chicken® brand. As Sr. R&D Manager, Duque has brought a fervent creative passion to the Church’s team and her consistently refreshing product innovations have been the cornerstone of Church’s promotional product campaigns, such as Waffle Bites and the new Church’s® Honey Butter Biscuit Tenders.
Even before bringing her vision to Church’s Chicken®, Duque has a long history in the restaurant industry, working on the development of some of the most iconic offerings for Pecan Deluxe Candy Company and Burger King Corporation. As an R&D Manager for Pecan Deluxe Candy Company, Duque honed her craft, developing new dessert inclusions, shake bases and donut toppings, which launched successfully on both the national and international stages for Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), casual dining restaurants and dessert manufacturers.
She first entered the QSR industry as an Assistant R&D Manager with Burger King Corporation. Duque spent six years managing all aspects of R&D for multiple portfolios including desserts, beverages, breakfast and kids menu items. Through her engagement with franchisees, Duque has forged a keen awareness of what it takes to make a product successful operationally as well as with consumers.
Ada Duque graduated from Jorge Tadeo Lozado University of Bogotá in Colombia, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Engineering.
She is also a devoted wife and mother, who enjoys food, both in her professional and personal life, as well as travel and film. Ada is avidly engaged in serving her community, working as an American Field Service volunteer and also with Habitat for Humanity.
Website: www.churchs.com
Social Media Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/churchschicken
Twitter: @churchschicken
