Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 85-plus U.S. locations and another 270 worldwide, is heading to Georgia. With a new strategy to reach 250 locations opened by 2026, Pollo Campero is set to become one of the most dominant players in the $38 billion fast-casual chicken franchise segment. Now, the Pollo Campero team has identified The Peach State as a prime market for franchise expansion following the success of corporate locations and an unmet demand among both legacy consumers and new fans.

“The opportunity for growth is huge, but we want to be coordinated in that growth,” said Luis Javier Rodas, managing director & COO. “That’s why we’ve worked hard to define where we want to start expanding and which existing markets are primed for growth. 

Pollo Campero’s growth strategy in the U.S. is about reinvigorating the brand’s presence in established and nearby markets instead of building from scratch. With over a decade of serving customers in Atlanta with three franchise locations, Georgia is a prime example of one such area.

“We have been in Atlanta for over 10 years with remarkable franchisees,” said Director of Franchise Development Blas Escarcega. “Now, we know we can bring the brand to more consumers by expanding our footprint to outlying areas of Georgia. We have three restaurants currently and expect to be able to grow significantly over the next five years, with the potential to open over 20  locations in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Georgia is a very strong economic area of the country, and the population continues to grow. We are excited about our future there.”

Georgia was the seventh most moved-to state in 2021, and Atlanta ranked sixth in the entire U.S. for population growth. Additionally, nearly 11% of the entire population reported Hispanic or Latino origin, a demographic that is continuing to grow. This diverse customer base is ideal for Pollo Campero, a major favorite among international customers as the world’s largest Central American chicken franchise.

“We have legacy customers — Central American customers who know the brand from our international footprint — in markets all over the country, and those were the markets we traditionally focused on,” Escarcega said. “Now, what has happened is that we’ve expanded that legacy customer base and realized that the brand has legs to reach more mainstream consumers in the U.S. We want to maintain the legacy piece while also bringing the opportunity to new customers and developing around the existing markets.”

In addition, Escarcega says markets in the Southeast, like Georgia, have a higher-than-average consumption of chicken. “That is why there is such a high concentration of chicken concepts in the Southeast — people love chicken, particularly fried,” said Escarcega. “It really transcends demographics. Everyone just loves chicken in the Southeast, and nobody does chicken like Pollo Campero.” 

Pollo Campero, which began in Guatemala as a family-owned business with a carefully crafted menu and unique chicken recipe, was designed to honor the brand’s origins in Central American cuisine while also ensuring that the fried chicken was as good as it could possibly be. Today, the QSR chicken segment has proven to be pandemic-proof in markets all over the country, and Pollo Campero has optimized its business model, innovated the menu and expanded its support infrastructure to ensure franchisees can carve out a lucrative niche and satisfy the demand for delicious chicken in markets like Atlanta. 

In addition to Georgia, the Pollo Campero team says their expansion efforts will primarily focus across the Southeast over the next three to five years, including the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama and North Florida. Additionally, the brand has identified a significant growth opportunity in Arizona, as well as a few other markets scattered across the country. The brand will also open more corporate-owned stores, focusing on California. 

“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 to visit the closest Pollo Campero, and we don’t want that. We want to plant the seeds that will eventually allow us to bring a Pollo Campero restaurant closer to every hungry customer.”

Initial investments range from $1,287,250 – $2,491,500*. For more information, visit https://camperofranchise.com/.

*To see the brand’s full reported financials, please reference Pollo Campero’s Franchise Disclosure Document (updated July 13, 2022). 

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.