Pollo Campero Targets Booming San Diego Market for Franchise Development

Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 270 units worldwide, is primed to establish a dominant footprint in the $40.6 billion fast-food chicken franchise segment. The brand has identified San Diego as a prime market for development and is seeking skilled franchise owners to lead expansion in the Golden State.

Blas Escarcega, Pollo Campero’s director of franchise development, says his team is aiming to reinvigorate the franchise’s brand presence in California, starting with its legacy customer base. 

“Tapping into the legacy customer base is a critical first step to facilitate franchise growth, but we shouldn’t stop there,” said Escarcega. “We’ve expanded that base and realized that the brand has legs to expand beyond the legacy brand and to the mainstream consumers in the U.S.”

Luis Javier Rodas, managing director and COO, said Pollo Campero is now inviting multi-unit operators to invest in the brand and lead the company in lucrative markets nationwide. The company is also targeting markets where they are confident they can reinvigorate the Pollo Campero brand presence and leverage established supply chains. With two locations in the nearby state of Nevada, California is a perfect example of this strategy.

“Our legacy customers are increasing in Nevada, and we believe the Southwest is underserved, with a big population base and a lot of white space,” said Rodas. “We’ve spent the past several years figuring out the supply chain requirements in each market we’ve operated in, making sure we can get our high-quality product to restaurants promptly. Now, we want to develop the San Diego market and increase our unit counts so the supply chain can better serve it. We have many multi-brand owners already showing interest in California. It is really a booming market.”

Escarcega says Pollo Campero ended the past year with 81 total restaurant units in the U.S., including 60 corporate stores, 17 franchise units and four ghost kitchens. Now, he says the five-year plan is to reach 180 corporate units, 85 franchise locations and 10 to 20 ghost kitchens. 

“The past few years have been incredible for Pollo Campero, and our franchise concept is all about allowing new customers to try an incredible product,” said Rodas. “Now, as we move forward with a strategic growth mindset, we are eager to bring Pollo Campero to more communities by partnering with qualified franchisees who can build locally-owned businesses they can be proud of.”

In addition to California, the Pollo Campero team is looking to grow in markets like Arizona, the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and North Florida. The brand will also open more corporate-owned stores, with a particular focus on New York and South Florida.   

“At the end of the day, we are lacking the number of units to keep up with what our customers want,” Escarcega said. “We have some customers who have to travel several miles to visit the closest Pollo Campero, and our goal is to plant the seeds that will eventually allow us to bring a Pollo Campero restaurant closer to every hungry customer with the help of qualified franchisees eager to partner with a proven and beloved brand.”

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 into one of the biggest chicken chains in the world.