Pollo Campero Franchise Celebrates 100th U.S. Restaurant

Pollo Campero, the Central American chicken franchise with over 350 restaurants worldwide, celebrated a major milestone in the U.S. this month. The franchise opened its 100th U.S. location in early April in Miami Gardens, Florida. After rapid growth in recent years, Pollo Campero has proven the strength and flexibility of its model and is here to stay.

“If we can do 100, we can do 1,000,” said LJ Rodas, chief operating officer and managing director. “The Miami Gardens location is the most celebrated milestone, and this is proof that the U.S. market has accepted us with open arms. As we continue to grow, our brand awareness increases, and even more guests can experience Campero meals. What used to be primarily a Central American brand is crossing over to the U.S. with strong momentum, and we’re very excited about that.”

The new restaurant, located at 4698 NW 183rd St., had its Grand Opening celebration in April. As part of the celebration, Pollo Campero launched its commemorative cup promotion in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. For just $5, guests receive a 32-ounce collectible cup and unlimited free refills. To commemorate this milestone, Pollo Campero will be donating $100,000 (funded in part by proceeds from the cup) to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital®. Collectible cups, decorated with the 100th store logo, will be available at all Pollo Campero locations.

Rodas noted that, just like all of the new locations Pollo Campero is developing, this new restaurant is on prime real estate. As a freestanding building on a corner lot, the new unit has great visibility and a double lane, drive-thru option, meaning the team will be able to easily serve large volumes of guests even more efficiently.

Growth and expansion

As it crossed the 100-unit milestone, Pollo Campero is increasing brand awareness among both guests and franchisees. This strengthens the system, driving franchise development through an increase in knowledge of and confidence in the model. With more restaurants cropping up in major markets nationwide, the brand’s loyal fanbase is quickly growing.

“We have a fan base that has known us for many years in Central America and has continued to support our growth efforts wherever we go,” said Blas Escarcega, vice president of franchise development. “We’re very happy with the legacy customer base, and we also have new consumers that don’t know us but have been very open to coming and trying our food, and they continue to come. They love our food, menu and offerings.”

Last year, Pollo Campero added 11 new restaurants to the system, made key menu additions — including a new mac & cheese side — and brought in over $275 million in systemwide revenue, preparing it for yet another year of meaningful growth.

Future plans

This year, Pollo Campero plans to open at least 25 new restaurants. As it celebrates the 100-unit milestone and its ongoing growth across the U.S., the team has its eyes on the next major achievement, pursuing 250 U.S. restaurants open by 2027 through expansion in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, Ohio and Indiana.

The Central American chicken franchise opened its 100th U.S. location in Miami Gardens, Florida in April, celebrating a major milestone and ongoing growth across the nation.