Pollo Campero doubling down on digital kitchens

Pollo Campero opened its first two digital kitchens in San Francisco and Chicago in 2020 and expects to open at least 10 additional locations in 2021. The a chicken restaurant chain from Central America will begin its new additions with a ghost kitchen in Anaheim, Calif., U.S., in January. The openings will complement the company’s aggressive traditional restaurant expansion plan.

The new 200-sq.-ft. digital kitchens will serve the restaurant’s full menu for individual, family, and catering occasions. Ordering will be available from the chain’s website at us.campero.com, through its app, on the phone, and through DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Postmates. Pickup will be available at the locations, and delivery within a 30-minute radius of locations will be offered.

“Pollo Campero’s online ordering and delivery has increased by more than 300% this year, and we expect to see this trend continuing well past the pandemic, as many people have come to value the convenience offered by these services,” says Luis Javier Rodas, Campero USA’s managing director and COO. “The digital kitchen model, with a smaller footprint and efficient cost structure, has enormous potential to help us further penetrate markets and bring our chicken to more consumers in a convenient way.”

Pollo Campero has posted strong results throughout the pandemic. The brand quickly shifted to an off-premise, high-value and digital communication-focused model, resulting in a fast recovery and record levels of profitability. The brand had an average same-store sales increase of 14% September through November.

In addition to the digital kitchens, Pollo Campero is focused on opening more traditional and franchised locations throughout 2021.