“The United States will be the country with the most Camperos in the world,” said José Gregorio Baquero, CEO of CMI foods, when inaugurating the 100th restaurant in the North American country, where it is present in 20 states and generates at least 2,500 jobs. , many of them, for Guatemalans.
“This important milestone is part of the USD$190 million investment plan for the expansion and growth of the brand in the United States announced by Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI) in 2022,” he added.
Luis Javier Rodas, CEO of Campero USA, added that they have adapted the garnishes in the restaurants to meet the demand of Latin and American consumers. “Here in the United States, children like mac and cheese, so we offer that product in our restaurants. There is a very large culture of consuming fried yuca and no other competitor has it; we do. In South America they consume empanadas and we also sell them. So we have a menu whose setting is Campero, but there are local adaptations,” Rodas indicated.
Juan José Gutiérrez, President and Chairman of CMI Alimentos, stated that Pollo Campero is his life project, after having been appointed as director and manager of the company, after his father and uncle died in a plane accident.
“Pollo Campero became my life project and I have worked intensely to transform my father’s small cafeteria with a simple but unique chicken recipe, into an international and recognized restaurant chain. “Exactly what he always dreamed of,” commented Gutiérrez.
The businessmen said that CMI currently has a team that exceeds 10,000 employees and has a presence in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Europe and the United States.
The businessmen said that CMI currently has a team that exceeds 10 thousand employees, after 53 years of operating. Today it has a presence in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico (Tapachula), Honduras, Ecuador, Europe and the United States.
Growing market
Baquero said that the first restaurant in the United States opened in April 2002 in Los Angeles, California. “The road has not even been easy, we have had to make many changes” in the way marketing is done, in the format, size of the restaurants, value proposition to collaborators derived from the high turnover that exists in that country, But these challenges have been solved with the help of the work team and the CMI culture.”
Today it is in 60 cities in the following states: Nevada, California, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York.
In addition, the menus have been adapted, since apart from the traditional fried chicken, grilled chicken and potatoes, yuca sticks and sandwiches are served with different accompaniment options.
The main side dishes are not that different from those offered in Guatemala and El Salvador such as French fries and coleslaw, although they do include specific variants for different states or populations, he said. For example, in Florida white rice, black beans and fried yucca are widely consumed; In this and other locations, a lot of ripe bananas are consumed; in Los Angeles it is red beans and the yellowest rice. That is part of the learning we have had to adapt the accompaniments to the custom of each state.
The executive considers that opening the 100th restaurant is a success for Central Americans and Hispanics who live in that country, “where we see expansion in the most competitive restaurant market in the world.”
The firm has plans to open at least 25 more locations in the United States during 2024, in 2025 there would be between 35 and 40, to end 2026 with more than 200. So by 2027 it is expected to have at least 250, Baquero said.
Other plans
On the other hand, Baquero recalled that from 2022 the firm’s investment program was announced with US$1.8 billion not only in the United States but also with CMI Foods and CMI Capital to expand brands and businesses in different countries.
In Campero USA the investment is more than US$200 million and the generation of jobs in each one represents 35 to 40 positions, so only in the 25 restaurants that will open in 2024 around 800 people will be hired .
Rodas added that in the United States the main challenge has been to make itself known and for people to try its products. “There has been a lot of learning, it has taken us 22 years, between additions and subtractions, to have 100 restaurants today in the United States; But we have a huge amount under construction and signed contracts, so opening the next 100 is going to take us a little more than 3 years.”
#Pollo #Camperos #restaurant #opens #United #States