Few chicken franchise brands have a legacy, flavor profile, built-in customer base and proven ability to enter new markets with ease like Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 80-plus U.S. locations and another 270 around the world.
Pollo Campero’s crossover appeal is a huge win for its franchise owners. Its exceptional brand recognition from consumers with ties to Latin America and its flavor accessibility to those without is a strong differentiator as the franchise ramps up in the U.S., where Hispanic people are projected to reach 30% of the total population by 2050.
Andy Cabral, CEO of Vigario Management Corporation, lives in Dumfries, Virginia and owns three Pollo Campero locations in the D.C. area. With the success his restaurants have seen, Cabral is signed on to open more Pollo Camperos in the near future.
“We opened up our first Pollo Campero in March 2011, and we’ve followed the Census Data over the last 10 years and really spent a lot of time and research finding and launching all three of our locations,” Cabral said.
For Cabral, franchising is a family business. He runs his Pollo Campero locations along with his mother and brother, a tradition they’re carrying on after a decade of investing in several successful Dunkin’ Donuts locations.
“Whenever we’re debating starting something on our own or continuing to franchise, we always come to the same conclusion,” Cabral said. “You can’t beat Pollo Campero’s popularity. When we opened up our first Pollo location, we served 20,000 people in the first week.”
Pollo Campero began in Guatemala in 1971 as a family-owned business with a carefully crafted menu and unique chicken recipe. The concept caught on quickly and won a seat on the family table of thousands, weaving itself into the regional cultural and culinary landscape while becoming the world's largest Latin American chicken chain.
“We’ve landed in the second-largest Salvadoran population in the U.S. outside of California,” Cabral said. “Out there, the population is very spread out. Here in D.C., they’re within a 50-mile radius. They work, live and network in the same communities, spreading the word about Pollo Campero. For a lot of them, Pollo Campero is as familiar as McDonald’s.”
While Washington, D.C. is home to one of the country’s largest Salvadoran communities, Hispanic and Latino Americans make up 11.3% of the area’s population.
“The first time I visited a Pollo Campero restaurant, the line was around the block,” said Fernando Perez, Pollo Campero’s Senior Director of Operations. “So, I asked the people, ‘Why are you waiting so long?’ And they said, ‘It’s 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."
Pollo Campero’s steadfast commitment to supporting the communities it serves, combined with a fan-favorite menu, allows franchisees to tap into unparalleled consumer loyalty, a particularly critical benefit after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the restaurant landscape.
“Having longevity means you have to have something craveable and that people can’t replicate,” Cabral said. “You want something that’s protecting your investment, and I don’t see that with other chicken franchises. If you have that proprietary thing that people really love, they’ll be attracted to it and you’ll stay long-term.”
Cabral said 85% of his locations’ sales comes from one thing: fried chicken.
“You can add things to your menu, but having that one strong product at the core, I just don’t see that with other brands,” he said. “To me, the food always has to be first. The money will follow if the food is worth everything you’re trying to get accomplished. If the food is good, you can figure everything else out after — and Pollo Campero is the best.”
After maintaining record U.S. sales throughout the pandemic, Pollo Campero has launched a new strategy to reach 250 restaurants across the U.S. over the next five years, making it one of the dominant players in the $38 billion fast food chicken franchise segment. As it embarks on this ambitious expansion effort, the brand is leveraging a proven business model, loyal fanbase and experienced leadership team to attract multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees in markets around the country, starting with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina 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.
Pollo Campero
Along with his mother and brother, Cabral owns three Pollo Campero locations in the Washington, D.C. area, and the family is in negotiations for further expansion of the nation’s fastest-growing chicken franchise.
Few chicken franchise brands have a legacy, flavor profile, built-in customer base and proven ability to enter new markets with ease like Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 80-plus U.S. locations and another 270 around the world.
Pollo Campero’s crossover appeal is a huge win for its franchise owners. Its exceptional brand recognition from consumers with ties to Latin America and its flavor accessibility to those without is a strong differentiator as the franchise ramps up in the U.S., where Hispanic people are projected to reach 30% of the total population by 2050.
Andy Cabral, CEO of Vigario Management Corporation, lives in Dumfries, Virginia and owns three Pollo Campero locations in the D.C. area. With the success his restaurants have seen, Cabral is signed on to open more Pollo Camperos in the near future.
“We opened up our first Pollo Campero in March 2011, and we’ve followed the Census Data over the last 10 years and really spent a lot of time and research finding and launching all three of our locations,” Cabral said.
For Cabral, franchising is a family business. He runs his Pollo Campero locations along with his mother and brother, a tradition they’re carrying on after a decade of investing in several successful Dunkin’ Donuts locations.
“Whenever we’re debating starting something on our own or continuing to franchise, we always come to the same conclusion,” Cabral said. “You can’t beat Pollo Campero’s popularity. When we opened up our first Pollo location, we served 20,000 people in the first week.”
Pollo Campero began in Guatemala in 1971 as a family-owned business with a carefully crafted menu and unique chicken recipe. The concept caught on quickly and won a seat on the family table of thousands, weaving itself into the regional cultural and culinary landscape while becoming the world's largest Latin American chicken chain.
“We’ve landed in the second-largest Salvadoran population in the U.S. outside of California,” Cabral said. “Out there, the population is very spread out. Here in D.C., they’re within a 50-mile radius. They work, live and network in the same communities, spreading the word about Pollo Campero. For a lot of them, Pollo Campero is as familiar as McDonald’s.”
While Washington, D.C. is home to one of the country’s largest Salvadoran communities, Hispanic and Latino Americans make up 11.3% of the area’s population.
“The first time I visited a Pollo Campero restaurant, the line was around the block,” said Fernando Perez, Pollo Campero’s Senior Director of Operations. “So, I asked the people, ‘Why are you waiting so long?’ And they said, ‘It’s 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."
Pollo Campero’s steadfast commitment to supporting the communities it serves, combined with a fan-favorite menu, allows franchisees to tap into unparalleled consumer loyalty, a particularly critical benefit after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the restaurant landscape.
“Having longevity means you have to have something craveable and that people can’t replicate,” Cabral said. “You want something that’s protecting your investment, and I don’t see that with other chicken franchises. If you have that proprietary thing that people really love, they’ll be attracted to it and you’ll stay long-term.”
Cabral said 85% of his locations’ sales comes from one thing: fried chicken.
“You can add things to your menu, but having that one strong product at the core, I just don’t see that with other brands,” he said. “To me, the food always has to be first. The money will follow if the food is worth everything you’re trying to get accomplished. If the food is good, you can figure everything else out after — and Pollo Campero is the best.”
After maintaining record U.S. sales throughout the pandemic, Pollo Campero has launched a new strategy to reach 250 restaurants across the U.S. over the next five years, making it one of the dominant players in the $38 billion fast food chicken franchise segment. As it embarks on this ambitious expansion effort, the brand is leveraging a proven business model, loyal fanbase and experienced leadership team to attract multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees in markets around the country, starting with Arizona, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina 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.
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