Pollo Campero Finally Comes To South Florida
There are outlets in California, Chicago, New York, Texas and DC and its suburbs. So now, finally, the most popular chicken chain in Central America is expanding to South Florida; Guatemala-based Pollo Campero will be opening a branch in Boynton Beach sometime this month. After that, the chain is planning to open at least four more restaurants in the area: three in Dade (Little Havana, Cutler Ridge, and near Dolphin Stadium) and one in an unspecified Broward location.
Campero has been making headlines with restaurant openings in Los Angeles and other U.S. areas with large Central American communities, drawing crowds and posting record sales from immigrants seeking a taste of home.Should be interesting, but we doubt Campero will be popular enough to drive out Pollo Tropical. We're interested in trying it, as we've heard quite a bit about the chain; our college roommate, a Chicago native whose parents are from El Salvador, said everyone brings back some Pollo Campero chicken after a trip to Central America, which makes for an interesting flight. But our roommate always seemed to marvel at the lengths people would go to for this chicken; she seemed to think it was good, but not worth, say, waiting in line for three hours on a restaurant's opening day.But debuts in Boynton Beach and South Florida could be different, as the chain appeals more to a crossover market including Cubans, Puerto Ricans and many non-Latin Americans who don't know the brand, Denegri said.
Already, Campero has adjusted its menu to reach out.
The South Florida locales will offer black beans popular among Cubans, not just pinto beans popular in Central America. And the U.S. outlets will highlight grilled chicken for the first time — partly to take on Pollo Tropical, the Miami-based chain known for its grilled dishes.
"We knew we needed grilled chicken to compete in Florida," Denegri said.
Central American chicken chain comes to South Florida [Sun-Sentinel]
Pollo Campero [Official Site]
