Restaurant Business: Pollo Campero Gets Ready for its Next Act

The United States fast-food market is the most difficult market in the world to break into, but that is not a deterrent for Pollo Campero, which has been in the U.S. for over twenty years. In an interview with Restaurant Business, the U.S. general manager and chief operating officer, Luis Javier Rodas, explained the goals and strategy for Pollo Campero’s U.S. expansion.

Rodas is reporting that they aim to open 85 locations within the next three years, with 60 locations being corporate-owned and the remaining 25 owned and operated by franchisees. Corporate growth will focus on markets such as California, New York, or Florida, while franchisees will expand in Arizona with 70 leases already signed across their desired markets.

Every state within the U.S. has its own rules and regulations, but more so each state has its own habits. These regional differences meant that for Pollo Campero to expand across the nation they needed to recognize the regional specificity needed for each location and state. “[We] had to hire the right team. We had to define what the menu and what the business model was, for every state. Now we’re ready,” said Rodas.