You want fries with that?

Lino Maldonado, in his executive position at Wyndham Vacation Rentals, is always on the lookout for great front desk employees — the frontline stars who are the first people guests see.

The place he has had the most success in finding the best and the brightest? A fast-food drive-thru.

Maldonado is vice president of operations for Wyndham's Gulf Region, based in Destin, where he oversees a payroll of more than 1,100 people and a $500 million operating budget. He's also the 2016 chairman of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. He mentioned his drive-thru recruiting techniques during a recent speech at an FRLA event at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, before a room full of restaurant managers and industry leaders.