Pollo Campero Targets Southeastern U.S. as Top Market for Franchise Development

Since its founding in 1971, fast-casual chicken franchise Pollo Campero has grown steadily in markets around the world, establishing more than 270 locations in international markets and another 80 in the U.S. But in terms of franchise development, the brand has only started stepping on the gas in recent years, leveraging its position as a well-loved brand in a booming, $38 billion segment to open 250 restaurants in the U.S. by the end of 2026.

As it embarks on that ambitious growth plan, Pollo Campero is targeting states throughout the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee, among its top markets for franchise development. The brand’s development team says those locations, like all Pollo Campero’s target development markets, were selected to maximize the opportunity for success for franchisees.

“We are not interested in growing for growth’s sake alone,” said Blas Escarcega, Pollo Campero’s Director of Franchise Development. “We want to grow where there is demand and where we can provide the highest level of support for our franchise owners. The good news is, both of those prerequisites are met by an increasingly large number of markets across the U.S.”

Growth Strategy

Pollo Campero’s growth strategy expands the brand’s footprint in concentric circles, ensuring that each new unit benefits from the same support and resources that bolster an existing market that has already proven successful.

“It’s very hard to manage one store here and another store there, so we want to stay coordinated,” said Luis Javier Rodas, Pollo Campero’s Managing Director and COO, in a video webinar. “We have put many resources into our supply chain in order to assure that we will get our product in a timely manner to all the restaurants.”

Beyond proximity to existing locations, Pollo Campero’s development team uses troves of data to select prime markets for development, says Rodas.

Market Selection

“Our market plans go beyond demographics and key economic indicators. Population growth, consumer spending and market saturation are important, but we've evolved our focus to identify the best possible trade areas by leveraging mobility data, consumer psychographics and needs states as well as robust AI-enabled models,” he said. “We plan to open new restaurants where Pollo Campero is well-positioned to thrive based on demographics and previously successful stores.”

As Pollo Campero gears up for widespread expansion, Rodas says the brand’s development team is not loosening its standards to get more restaurants up and running faster.

“We’re not going to be hasty — we’re going to grow in a smart way, keeping true to our vision and our strategy by franchising with the right entrepreneurs,” Rodas said. “In time, there will be 1,000 Pollo Campero locations across the United States.”

*To see the brand’s full reported financials, please reference Pollo Campero’s Franchise Disclosure Document (updated June 7, 2021).

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.