Influential Women Profiles Lisa Méndez: Regional Director for Sunshine Restaurant Partners d/b/a IHOP
Lisa Méndez is a seasoned and passionate executive with more than 39 years of experience in restaurant operations. As Regional Director for Sunshine Restaurant Partners d/b/a IHOP, she has been with IHOP/SRP for 27 years and oversees 50 locations across South Florida, managing daily operations, ensuring compliance with brand standards, driving revenue growth, and fostering the development of high-performing teams. Her expertise spans franchise consulting, P&L management, and operational excellence, positioning her as a well-rounded leader committed to both people and performance.
In her role, Lisa is responsible for maintaining operational consistency across a large multi-unit territory while also empowering general managers and team members to succeed. She places strong emphasis on leadership development, accountability, and creating a culture where employees feel supported and motivated to grow. Her approach blends financial discipline with a deep understanding of hospitality-driven service, ensuring both guest satisfaction and business performance remain strong.
Before joining IHOP, Lisa held leadership roles across several well-known hospitality organizations, including Boston Market, Surfcomber Hotel, and Charades Restaurant. These experiences allowed her to build a strong foundation in restaurant and hospitality operations while progressively taking on greater leadership responsibilities. Throughout her career journey, she developed expertise in team management, guest experience, operational systems, and performance improvement.
Lisa is also a strong advocate for professional development and inclusion within the hospitality industry. In November 2025, she launched the “Elevating Women in Leadership” program, an initiative designed to create growth opportunities for women across the organization. The program reflects her belief in mentorship, access, and advancement for women in operational leadership roles. She is also certified in Food Safety and Food Handling and has consistently prioritized operational integrity, compliance, and team development throughout her career.
Lisa attributes her success to a combination of hard work, a supportive and growing team, and the guidance of exceptional mentors who have helped shape her professional journey. She also emphasizes that mindset plays a critical role in her leadership style, noting that attitude, adaptability, and a willingness to evolve—paired with ongoing self-reflection—are key drivers of long-term success.
The best career advice Lisa has ever received is to keep pushing forward even when results are not immediately visible, as success is often just around the corner. She also values consistency and discipline, believing that sticking to the basics is essential for sustainable performance and strong execution.
To young women entering the hospitality industry, Lisa encourages confidence and persistence. She emphasizes that a college degree is not required for success and that personal circumstances, including being a parent or single mother, should never be seen as barriers to advancement. She highlights the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, developing strong communication skills, and being willing to step forward for new opportunities.
Lisa notes that one of the greatest challenges—and opportunities—in her field is centered around people. Her work involves developing talent, making placement decisions, offering encouragement, and guiding teams through both growth and difficult conversations. She believes that the most critical aspect of leadership in hospitality is ensuring the right people are in the right roles, where they can succeed and contribute effectively.
The values most important to Lisa in both her personal and professional life include integrity, positivity, passion for people and hospitality, respectful communication, and a commitment to uplifting others. She believes these principles are essential to building strong teams and meaningful relationships.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lisa is a dedicated mother of three adult children and a grandmother of three. She values time with her family and enjoys gardening, along with community service initiatives such as the GAL Program, Children’s Miracle Network, Feeding Tampa, and Feeding South Florida.
Lisa Y Méndez’s combination of operational expertise, people-first leadership, and commitment to community impact defines her as a dynamic and inspiring leader in the hospitality industry.
Learn More about Lisa Méndez:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/lisa-m%C3%A9ndez or through her profile on Sunshine Restaurant Partners d/b/a IHOP, https://ihopsrp.com/team_member/lisa-mendez/
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