Fast-casual chicken franchise Pollo Campero has already proven itself a power player in the international foodservice industry, establishing more than 270 locations in markets around the world, plus another 80 domestically. Now, the brand is leveraging that strong position to support its most ambitious growth strategy in the franchise’s history, aiming to open 250 restaurants across the U.S. within the next four years and solidifying its position as a dominant brand in the $38 billion chicken franchise segment.
That substantial growth potential in a consistently lucrative segment is enough to catch the attention of just about any franchise investor, but what does the franchise offer that will convince candidates to sign on? According to the brand’s development team, quite a lot.
First of all, chicken is a hot segment right now, and the Pollo Campero franchise is no newcomer to the business. Founded in 1971, the brand’s model has proven successful throughout a range of economic ups and downs, including the aftermath of September 11th, 2001, the 2008 financial crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I attend franchise exposition shows, many restaurant leaders are interested in balancing their franchise portfolio, and chicken is a very good complement to their existing portfolio. Whether they already have burgers or pizza, chicken is something a lot of people want to participate in,” said Pollo Campero’s director of franchise development Blas Escarcega, in a video webinar. “I see opportunities even when I’m walking through airports and I’m wearing my [Pollo Campero-branded] shirt, and people will stop me and say, ‘You have great chicken!’ That, to me, is a powerful message that we have here in the U.S. and as we continue to attend franchise conventions I definitely see more and more people recognize the brand and are happy to see us.”
That degree of brand awareness among both consumers and franchise professionals was hard-won, Escarcega said. “It’s something we’ve worked very hard on over the past several years here in the U.S., and the good news is that cross-over mainstream consumers want to be part of this brand — and again, the chicken sells itself.”
After years of operational refinement and cultivation of brand awareness, Luis Javier Rodas, Pollo Campero’s Managing Director and COO, says the brand is at its peak in terms of development potential. “Our average unit volumes are super, super healthy,” he said.
Pollo Campero’s long history of success both in the U.S. and abroad is due largely to the quality of its offerings, which distinguish the brand markedly from other chicken concepts. In 2019, at the height of the so-called Chicken Sandwich Wars that dominated the foodservice franchise landscape, Thrillist published an article titled “Why You Need to Go to Pollo Campero, the KFC of Latin America,” encouraging foodies to skip the ubiquitous fried chicken sandwich offerings in favor of Pollo Campero’s “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.”
Since then, Pollo Campero’s popularity has only grown, both domestically and abroad.
“There’s a passion for this brand in the U.S. that’s really catching on,” said Atlanta-based, multi-unit franchisee Richard Summers. “Pollo Campero internationally is well-known, especially in Central and South America, as the only brand that sells both grilled chicken and fried chicken on the bone. So we have loyalty from Central American people that is phenomenal because they know we are the only place to get that offering in the U.S. You have to really be in the restaurant to know how strong [that loyalty] is. It would be like me opening the first McDonald’s in China, and you have 100 people saying, ‘Oh wow, we can get McDonald’s here now.’ They flock to us because of good memories growing up with the brand. It’s a crazy phenomenon that I didn't understand until I saw it with my own eyes.”
Crucially, Pollo Campero’s operational model has been built to capitalize on the brand’s popularity and allow franchisees to quickly scale.
“We offer a proven business model that, when you look at the growth activity within the existing franchise base, has allowed 90% of our franchisees to scale their operations,” said Fernando Perez, Pollo Campero’s Senior Director of Operations. “The only reason a franchisee can grow is because the system is working. We are not only selling the brand, we are selling the support system and infrastructure. If you walk into some of our fried chicken competitors at rush hour, you’ll see the back of the house is a mess. Our system is designed to streamline the process during peak hours, and make it more efficient from a production perspective.”
Now, Pollo Campero’s development team is actively seeking new franchise partners in markets across the country to leverage the brand’s proven, scalable model to reach more customers and increase its already-outsized share of the massive — and growing — chicken segment.
“The past few years have been incredible for Pollo Campero, and we’ve been grateful to have the ongoing support of our fans,” said Rodas. “Now, as we move forward with a strategic growth mindset and look to hit 100 units by next year and 250 by the end of 2026, 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.”
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.
Pollo Campero
SPONSORED
The acclaimed fast-casual chicken concept is targeting significant U.S. expansion, aiming for 250 locations by 2026, backed by its proven international success and scalable franchise model.
Fast-casual chicken franchise Pollo Campero has already proven itself a power player in the international foodservice industry, establishing more than 270 locations in markets around the world, plus another 80 domestically. Now, the brand is leveraging that strong position to support its most ambitious growth strategy in the franchise’s history, aiming to open 250 restaurants across the U.S. within the next four years and solidifying its position as a dominant brand in the $38 billion chicken franchise segment.
That substantial growth potential in a consistently lucrative segment is enough to catch the attention of just about any franchise investor, but what does the franchise offer that will convince candidates to sign on? According to the brand’s development team, quite a lot.
First of all, chicken is a hot segment right now, and the Pollo Campero franchise is no newcomer to the business. Founded in 1971, the brand’s model has proven successful throughout a range of economic ups and downs, including the aftermath of September 11th, 2001, the 2008 financial crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I attend franchise exposition shows, many restaurant leaders are interested in balancing their franchise portfolio, and chicken is a very good complement to their existing portfolio. Whether they already have burgers or pizza, chicken is something a lot of people want to participate in,” said Pollo Campero’s director of franchise development Blas Escarcega, in a video webinar. “I see opportunities even when I’m walking through airports and I’m wearing my [Pollo Campero-branded] shirt, and people will stop me and say, ‘You have great chicken!’ That, to me, is a powerful message that we have here in the U.S. and as we continue to attend franchise conventions I definitely see more and more people recognize the brand and are happy to see us.”
That degree of brand awareness among both consumers and franchise professionals was hard-won, Escarcega said. “It’s something we’ve worked very hard on over the past several years here in the U.S., and the good news is that cross-over mainstream consumers want to be part of this brand — and again, the chicken sells itself.”
After years of operational refinement and cultivation of brand awareness, Luis Javier Rodas, Pollo Campero’s Managing Director and COO, says the brand is at its peak in terms of development potential. “Our average unit volumes are super, super healthy,” he said.
Pollo Campero’s long history of success both in the U.S. and abroad is due largely to the quality of its offerings, which distinguish the brand markedly from other chicken concepts. In 2019, at the height of the so-called Chicken Sandwich Wars that dominated the foodservice franchise landscape, Thrillist published an article titled “Why You Need to Go to Pollo Campero, the KFC of Latin America,” encouraging foodies to skip the ubiquitous fried chicken sandwich offerings in favor of Pollo Campero’s “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.”
Since then, Pollo Campero’s popularity has only grown, both domestically and abroad.
“There’s a passion for this brand in the U.S. that’s really catching on,” said Atlanta-based, multi-unit franchisee Richard Summers. “Pollo Campero internationally is well-known, especially in Central and South America, as the only brand that sells both grilled chicken and fried chicken on the bone. So we have loyalty from Central American people that is phenomenal because they know we are the only place to get that offering in the U.S. You have to really be in the restaurant to know how strong [that loyalty] is. It would be like me opening the first McDonald’s in China, and you have 100 people saying, ‘Oh wow, we can get McDonald’s here now.’ They flock to us because of good memories growing up with the brand. It’s a crazy phenomenon that I didn't understand until I saw it with my own eyes.”
Crucially, Pollo Campero’s operational model has been built to capitalize on the brand’s popularity and allow franchisees to quickly scale.
“We offer a proven business model that, when you look at the growth activity within the existing franchise base, has allowed 90% of our franchisees to scale their operations,” said Fernando Perez, Pollo Campero’s Senior Director of Operations. “The only reason a franchisee can grow is because the system is working. We are not only selling the brand, we are selling the support system and infrastructure. If you walk into some of our fried chicken competitors at rush hour, you’ll see the back of the house is a mess. Our system is designed to streamline the process during peak hours, and make it more efficient from a production perspective.”
Now, Pollo Campero’s development team is actively seeking new franchise partners in markets across the country to leverage the brand’s proven, scalable model to reach more customers and increase its already-outsized share of the massive — and growing — chicken segment.
“The past few years have been incredible for Pollo Campero, and we’ve been grateful to have the ongoing support of our fans,” said Rodas. “Now, as we move forward with a strategic growth mindset and look to hit 100 units by next year and 250 by the end of 2026, 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.”
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.
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