Pollo Campero
Guatemalan fast-food restaurant chain specializing in fried and grilled chicken.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Pollo Campero is a Guatemalan quick-service restaurant brand specializing in fried and grilled chicken. Its name is commonly understood as referring to country-style or rural chicken, and the brand has become strongly associated with Central American food culture and migration. The business emerged from the Gutiérrez family's poultry and restaurant activities. A predecessor restaurant selling fried chicken opened in Guatemala in 1967, while the first restaurant operating under the Pollo Campero name opened in Guatemala on April 28, 1971. The brand's early development followed a regional expansion model. It entered El Salvador in 1972 and Honduras in 1992, building on a core menu centered on seasoned chicken, side dishes, beverages, and family-oriented meal formats. Pollo Campero introduced self-service in 1980 and home delivery in 1995, changes that helped it adapt from a conventional restaurant chain into a more flexible quick-service operation. In the 1990s, the company began formalizing franchising as a way to enter additional markets. A franchise program created in 1997 supported later expansion into countries including Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. Pollo Campero's international profile grew substantially around the turn of the century. By 2000, the chain reportedly had 143 restaurants and almost 6,000 employees. Its first United States restaurant opened in Los Angeles in April 2002, responding in part to the brand's popularity among Guatemalan and Salvadoran communities. Before the U.S. rollout, travelers from Central America were known to carry boxes of Pollo Campero chicken on flights to the United States. This diaspora connection gave the chain substantial nostalgic and cultural relevance, particularly in California and other communities with Central American populations. The first U.S. restaurant reportedly generated approximately $1 million in sales during its first 22 days, according to a case study cited in the brand's Wikipedia references. The company also pursued expansion beyond the Americas. In 2007, Pollo Campero opened a restaurant in Shanghai, its first location in China. The brand has subsequently operated in a mixture of company-operated and franchised formats across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. CMI describes the business as having approximately 400 restaurants worldwide and more than 8,000 employees, although these figures are company-reported and may change over time. Pollo Campero is part of CMI Foods, the food business group of Corporación Multi Inversiones, a Guatemalan family-owned conglomerate. The brand's international headquarters are in Dallas, reflecting the strategic importance of the United States market. During the 2020s, the U.S. business pursued an accelerated growth strategy, adding restaurants in new cities and nontraditional high-traffic locations. The company announced its 100th U.S. restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida, in 2024, its 122nd U.S. restaurant at New York City's Penn Station in February 2025, and more than 130 U.S. restaurants across over 60 cities in 20 states by July 2025. Pollo Campero therefore combines a distinctive Central American heritage proposition with a broader international fast-food expansion model.
History
Pollo Campero developed out of the Gutiérrez family's poultry and restaurant businesses in Guatemala. The family opened a restaurant selling fried chicken in 1967, establishing an operational foundation for the later chain. On April 28, 1971, the first official Pollo Campero restaurant opened in Guatemala. From the beginning, the concept was built around chicken meals suited to family dining and quick service, with a flavor profile associated with Central American food culture. Regional growth began with entry into El Salvador in 1972 and Honduras in 1992. The chain's expansion was supported by operational adaptations, including self-service, which the company dates to 1980, and home delivery, introduced in 1995. These services broadened the ways customers could purchase the brand's food and helped it compete in an evolving quick-service restaurant sector. During the 1990s, Pollo Campero adopted franchising for international development. A formal franchise program was established in 1997. This approach enabled the brand to enter additional Central American markets and later countries such as Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico without relying solely on company-owned restaurants. By 2000, the chain had reached 143 restaurants and employed nearly 6,000 people, making it one of the more internationally developed Latin American fast-food brands of that period. The United States became a particularly important market. Pollo Campero opened its first U.S. restaurant in Los Angeles in April 2002. Its American expansion was connected to the established popularity of the brand among Guatemalan and Salvadoran immigrants. The practice of travelers bringing Pollo Campero chicken from Central America to the United States helped demonstrate the depth of this customer connection before the chain had a substantial U.S. presence. The first U.S. location reportedly achieved about $1 million in sales during its first 22 days, according to a Management Decision case study cited in reference material. Pollo Campero also pursued geographically diverse international growth. In 2007, it opened a Shanghai restaurant, its first in China. The brand later maintained operations across Central America, North America, Europe, and Asia. Its corporate structure places it within CMI Foods, the food division of Corporación Multi Inversiones, a Guatemalan family-owned conglomerate. Pollo Campero International is headquartered in Dallas, Texas; the company moved its Dallas office to a larger facility in North Dallas in 2016. During the 2020s, the chain emphasized U.S. growth, expanding beyond its original concentration in immigrant communities into a wider national network. It announced its 100th U.S. location in 2024, opened a 122nd U.S. restaurant at New York City's Penn Station in February 2025, and reported more than 130 U.S. restaurants in more than 60 cities across 20 states by July 2025. CMI describes the broader system as having roughly 400 restaurants and more than 8,000 employees worldwide. These reported figures are subject to change as restaurants open, close, or transfer between operating and franchised formats.
- 2025
Penn Station restaurant opens
[1]CMI announced the opening of the chain's 122nd U.S. restaurant inside Penn Station in New York City.
- 2024
U.S. network reaches 100 restaurants
[2]The company celebrated its 100th U.S. restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida, after opening 17 U.S. locations in the first half of the year.
- 2016
Dallas international office relocates
[1]Pollo Campero International moved its Dallas office to a larger North Dallas facility.
- 2007
First China restaurant opens
[1]The chain opened a restaurant in Shanghai, its first reported location in China.
- 2002
First United States restaurant opens
[1]Pollo Campero opened its first U.S. location in Los Angeles in April.
- 2000
Chain reaches 143 restaurants
[1]Reference material reports 143 restaurants and nearly 6,000 employees by this year.
- 1997
Formal franchise program established
[1]The company created a franchise program to support expansion outside its original markets.
- 1995
Home delivery introduced
[1]Pollo Campero began offering home delivery, extending its quick-service model beyond in-restaurant purchasing.
- 1992
Expansion into Honduras
[1]The chain entered Honduras as part of its Central American development.
- 1980
Self-service introduced
[1]The company identifies 1980 as the year it introduced self-service operations.
Products and positioning
A Central American-origin quick-service chicken chain combining fried and grilled chicken with regional flavor cues, family meal occasions, and strong cultural recognition among Central American consumers and diaspora communities.
Core menu
Fried chicken
Pollo Campero's central product is seasoned fried chicken served in individual, combination, and family-meal formats. It is the item most closely associated with the brand's Guatemalan and Central American identity and remains the principal basis of its quick-service restaurant proposition.
Core menu
Grilled chicken
Grilled chicken broadens the menu beyond fried offerings and gives customers an alternative preparation style. It is positioned within the same family-oriented chicken-meal system and is available alongside the chain's fried chicken in its restaurant markets.
Meal format
Chicken family meals
Family meals package multiple chicken portions with side dishes and beverages for group dining. This format supports the brand's emphasis on shared meals and provides a practical service model for takeout, delivery, and restaurant consumption.
Sides
Latin-style side dishes
The chain complements its chicken with side dishes and accompaniments that reinforce its Latin American positioning. Exact selections vary by country and market, reflecting local menus and operating requirements.
Brand decisions
2024
Accelerate U.S. restaurant developmentStrategyBackground
Pollo Campero sought to expand beyond its historic concentration in Central American immigrant communities.
Action taken
The company opened 17 U.S. locations in the first half of 2024 and celebrated its 100th U.S. restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Aftermath
The U.S. network continued expanding into additional cities and states.
2007
Enter China through ShanghaiStrategyBackground
After developing a presence across the Americas, the brand pursued a broader international footprint.
Action taken
Pollo Campero opened its first Chinese restaurant in Shanghai.
Aftermath
The opening extended the brand's geographic reach into Asia, although subsequent market scale is not specified in the available material.
2002
Enter the United States through Los AngelesStrategyBackground
The brand had strong recognition among Guatemalan and Salvadoran consumers, including diaspora customers who brought its food to the United States.
Action taken
Pollo Campero opened its first U.S. restaurant in Los Angeles in April 2002.
Aftermath
The U.S. division developed from an immigrant-community foothold into a wider national expansion platform.
Reported sales at first U.S. restaurant. $1 million (First 22 days after opening in 2002)
1997
Adopt a formal franchise expansion programStrategyBackground
Pollo Campero needed a scalable method for entering markets outside its established company-operated base.
Action taken
The company created a formal franchise program to support international openings.
Aftermath
Franchising supported subsequent expansion into additional Central American and international markets, including Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico.
Recent events
- 2025
Pollo Campero opens its 122nd United States restaurant at Penn Station[1]
Other
CMI announced the opening of the brand's 122nd U.S. restaurant inside Penn Station in New York City, illustrating its move into major transportation and high-footfall locations.
- 2025
Pollo Campero reports more than 130 United States restaurants[1]
Other
By July 2025, CMI stated that Pollo Campero had more than 130 U.S. restaurants in over 60 cities across 20 states.
- 2024
Pollo Campero accelerates United States restaurant growth[2]
Other
QSR Magazine reported that the chain opened 17 U.S. locations during the first half of 2024 and celebrated its 100th U.S. restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida.
- 2007
Pollo Campero opens its first restaurant in China[1]
M&A
The company opened a restaurant in Shanghai, marking its first reported location in China and extending its international footprint beyond the Americas.
- 2002
Pollo Campero opens its first United States restaurant in Los Angeles[1]
Other
The chain entered the United States with a Los Angeles restaurant, initially concentrating on communities with strong Guatemalan and Salvadoran ties.
Sources8 sources
- 1Pollo Camperoen.wikipedia.org
- 2QSR Magazineqsrmagazine.com
- 3Pollo Campero Launches New Camperitos | RestaurantNews.comrestaurantnews.com
- 4Pollo Campero Launches New Chicken Sandwich | RestaurantNewsRelease.comrestaurantnewsrelease.com
- 5Pollo Campero Rolls Out Digital Table Serviceprnewswire.com
- 6Pollo Campero Rolls Out Digital Table Service | Restaurant Magazinerestaurantmagazine.com
- 7Pollo Campero Rolls Out Digital Table Service | RestaurantNews.comrestaurantnews.com
- 8Pollo Campero Rolls Out Digital Table Service | RestaurantNewsRelease.comrestaurantnewsrelease.com
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