Pollo Campero Franchisee Opens Third Location in Smyrna, TN

Alberto Sosa, who already owns two Pollo Campero* franchises in Tennessee, is bringing the Central American chicken concept to the Nashville suburb of Smyrna.

Sosa has been a part of the Middle Tennessee community since 1993 and opened his first taqueria in 2003; he’s been in the restaurant business ever since. Sosa’s journey with Pollo Campero started back in 2015 when he was trying to decide what to do with an empty building he owned. After sampling the Central American chicken in Georgia and Texas, he fell in love with the brand. However, it was the passion of Pollo Campero’s customers that ultimately convinced him to give franchising a try.

Sosa opened his first Pollo Campero restaurant in Nashville in 2018 and his second in the suburb of Madison in 2022. Now he’s bringing the beloved franchise to Smyrna with a restaurant scheduled to open in May 2024.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Sosa: I’m a business owner; I’ve owned a meat market and some taquerias, so that's how I got started. Back in 2015, I heard about Pollo Campero. I also had a building that had been sitting there for a while because of the 2008 recession, so I was trying to come up with ideas on what to do with it.

I decided to go to Atlanta to try Pollo Campero; I also visited them in Texas. I tried it and loved the product. I decided to apply [for a franchise] and it was at a time when there wasn’t that much interest in the brand in the United States, so I was able to become a franchise owner and opened my first store in 2018.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Sosa: I was a business owner in the local area, so I wasn’t thinking too much about the process or franchising. It was really the brand that made me excited. I wasn’t focused too much on the actual process of franchising. I was given a great opportunity, especially because I had never experienced franchising. It was a great experience to bring the brand to a new area.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Sosa: I had experience with chicken through my meat market, which made me curious about the brand. There was also nothing like it in the area, so I wanted to bring the concept here. I was also drawn in by how passionate customers were about the brand. They would travel all the way to Atlanta just to eat there.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Sosa: I’m looking forward to growing the brand. I believe in the brand. There is strong potential in the market. There’s also not only plenty of loyal legacy customers who love the brand, but plenty of new customers who want what the brand has to offer.

Sosa: Recently, I received a letter from a student all the way in Indiana. The teacher had her students pick their favorite restaurant to write to them, so she sent it to us. It was really inspiring to see how much a 9- or 10-year-old student cared about the brand. It’s great knowing that new generations are starting to appreciate the brand. It gives me satisfaction and something to look forward to.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Sosa: I believe in the brand and encourage other entrepreneurs to try the brand because I’ve had such a great experience. We're all family at Pollo Campero and there’s a lot of potential for growth.