Pollo Campero Gives Franchisees the Opportunity to Introduce a Beloved Product to New Customers

Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 80-plus U.S. locations and another 270 around the world, has big plans for 2022. After seeing significant sales growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pollo Campero is looking to add 18 locations in markets across the country and bring the brand’s unique menu and high-quality product to new customers. With an already rabid fan base in markets where the brand currently operates, Pollo Campero is well-positioned to become one of the most dominant players in the $38 billion fast-casual chicken franchise segment. 

“Our franchise concept is really all about giving new customers the opportunity to try an incredible product,” said Luis Javier Rodas (LJ), Managing Director and COO. “In the U.S., I have never heard anyone try our product for the first time and tell me they didn’t like it. Pollo Campero gives franchisees the opportunity to bring a universally beloved product to new people. Our growth strategy is centered around this idea. We know that if we give new customers the opportunity to try the product — they will come back.”

With a carefully crafted menu of rich and complex chicken recipes, the Pollo Campero concept originally won over its local community in Guatemala before growing to hundreds of locations throughout Latin America, Italy, Spain and eventually the U.S. As the brand rapidly grew its footprint outside of Central America and perfected its menu, this mission to provide diverse and high-quality flavors translated to a rabid fan base in the U.S. 

“The first time I visited a Pollo Campero restaurant in the U.S., the line was around the block,” said Rodas. “When I started talking to the people waiting, they said, ‘Pollo Campero is like going home for us.’ There are many folks here from Guatemala and other Latin American countries. So, when you offer a product that this population grew up with, it’s a big deal to them. Our legacy customers spend a lot more money with us than with most other chicken brands." 

And the numbers back up that claim — the average ticket at Pollo Campero is between $23 and $25, more than twice as much as the average QSR transaction of $10.99, according to ??Delaget’s 2020 QSR Operational Index

Now, chicken franchises are one of the fastest-growing segments in the U.S., and Rodas says Pollo Campero gives franchisees an opportunity to tap into a proven menu unlike anything else in the category. Plus, by offering a melting pot of Latin American and U.S. flavors, including everything from classic fried chicken and empanadas to corn salad and sweet plantains, Pollo Campero has built a dedicated following that transcends demographics.

“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.”

In 2019, in an article titled “Why You Need to Go to Pollo Campero, the KFC of Latin America,” Thrillist recommended that every American try the brand for themselves, raving about the “juicy, juicy, juicy” meat and the “perfectly spiced and crispy” chicken skin, saying the concept had the potential to “influence the greater culinary landscape in the U.S. to the point where it gets woven into the very fabric of what we call American food.” 

Today, Pollo Campero’s fan-favorite menu and broad demographic appeal allows franchisees to tap into a built-in customer base of millions of loyal fans. Best of all, while there are already legacy consumers in cities all over the country, there is also an abundance of white space in a wide range of prime territories and markets.

With a plan to bring in multiple new franchise owners in 2022, the Pollo Campero team is looking to attract multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees in markets around the country, starting with Arizona, North Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Las Vegas and Tennessee.

Initial investments range 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.