Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 80-plus U.S. locations and another 270 around the world, has always prioritized quality of the product above all else. This mission to offer the best chicken possible has resulted in a unique menu, loyal customer base and family-centric culture — all factors that allowed Pollo Campero to see significant sales growth while many other brands struggled throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with a new strategy to sign new franchise deals in markets across the U.S. in 2022, Pollo Campero is leveraging its unique position in the $38 billion fast-casual chicken franchise segment to promote franchise growth and bring its high-quality product to more hungry customers across the country. 

“The Pollo Campero brand has been successful for many years, and the key to our success is really in the ingredients of our product,” said Blas Escarcega, Director of Franchise Development. “We take it seriously. Our chicken is tender, crunchy and juicy, and when you compare it to others in the QSR space, we always come out on top.” 

The Pollo Campero menu was designed to honor the brands’ origins in Latin American cuisine while also making sure that the fried chicken was as good as it could possibly be. “We’re talking about marinated to the bone, slow-down-and-enjoy-every-bite chicken,” said Luis Javier Rodas, Managing Director and COO. “A deep, rich and unique taste that can only be obtained by uniting the freshest ingredients with the best, complementary spices. It’s about combining generations of family recipes into the perfect, savory bite.”

Although Pollo Campero originally built a dedicated fan base primarily among Latin American customers, the brand has spent the past 20 years successfully building a portfolio of restaurants in markets throughout the United States, gaining a huge crossover audience that extends to every demographic along the way.

“Pollo Campero has extended its reach beyond just Latin America by focusing on a quality chicken offering that is great for sharing — it’s all about flavors that appeal to a broad base of customers,” said Rodas. “No matter your background, we believe feeding your family doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor or quality.”

Additionally, the Pollo Campero team continues to roll out new menu items and run blind tests to perfect the brands’ offerings. “When we launched our new chicken sandwiches last year, for example, we did many blind tests with many consumers to evaluate our offering against the most popular chicken sandwich in the market,” said Rodas. “In the test, our product was ranked by far the best. A few months ago, there was an influencer who tried a new chicken sandwich every day for a month, and Pollo Campero ended up his top choice compared to other major QSR chains. It's really a fantastic product, and we’re excited to continue making it better and better.” 

Escarcega says the Pollo Campero team works hard to ensure franchisees have the support they need to consistently offer such a beloved and high-quality product. “We look at our menu from a supply-chain perspective to make sure we have the right ingredients to make everything consistent, both in the U.S. and internationally,” he said. “We make sure the legacy of the brand and flavor is protected at all times. As we bring in franchisees into the system, we need them to have that same passion for the quality of product.”

Now, as chicken franchise brands boom in the U.S., Rodas says the brand offers franchisees an opportunity to tap into a proven menu unlike anything else in the category. 

“We have been able to occupy a space in our category with only a few players that directly compete with our offerings,”  said Rodas. “There are plenty of fried-chicken-on-the-bone players who compete on price, and you have both fried-only competitors and grilled-only competitors. But at Pollo Campero, we offer better chicken offerings in both fried and grilled formats, chicken on the bone and boneless, for a variety of occasions, and that makes us unique.”

Pollo Campero’s fan-favorite menu and broad demographic appeal, combined with the brand’s steadfast commitment to supporting the communities it serves, allows franchisees to tap into a built-in customer base of millions of loyal fans. This proved to be a particularly critical benefit after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the restaurant landscape. Escarcega says the demand for the brand’s food was present throughout the pandemic, with people embracing curbside delivery, third-party delivery and the brand’s mobile app.  

Now, same-store sales are up more than 50% from 2019, and the brand has already kicked off 2022 with a goal to sign 18 new franchise deals in markets across the U.S., starting with North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arizona, North Florida and Las Vegas. 

“At the end of the day, our flavor profile is unique, and it is something we are very proud of, so we want to get the word out and ensure more and more people have the opportunity to experience the taste of Pollo Campero,” said Escarcega. “Over the last year, we’ve seen more people realize that Pollo Campero offers a unique flavor they can’t get at any other QSR. Looking to the future, our position as a unique concept in the U.S., paired with our winning menu and legacy customers, will help us grow in the booming chicken category.”

The initial investment to open a Pollo Campero ranges from $887,250–$2,126,500*. For more information, visit: https://camperofranchise.com/.

*To see the brand’s full reported financials, please reference Pollo Campero’s Franchise Disclosure Document (updated June 7, 2021). 

ABOUT POLLO CAMPERO:

Pollo Campero is a fast-casual restaurant chain focused on delighting guests with better-chicken-offerings. Through its flavor and quality, Pollo Campero offers a unique and convenient feel-good eating experience for individual, group/family and catering occasions. Chicken entrees can be ordered either Campero Fried or Citrus-Grilled, bone in or boneless and paired with an array of fresh sides, drinks and desserts for a complete meal. Pollo Campero started as a small family-owned restaurant in Guatemala in 1971, and has grown to one of the biggest chicken chains in the world.