« The best sentence I read today | Main | Trading in space »
Pollo Campero
The company, part of the Corporación Multi Inversiones, a diversified privately owned group with interests including finance, real estate, construction and agriculture, does not post earnings. But, according to reliable sources, total income last year was between $380m and $400m (£199m) (€254m). That is about 1.2 per cent of Guatemala’s gross domestic product [emphasis added].
...the best example of how it has adapted its image is China, where the company used its heritage to appeal to the local crowd – even though Guatemala is not usually associated with things most foreigners identify as Latin American, such as soccer and Salsa.
“Chinese people are obsessed with Latin pop culture but they don’t really distinguish between countries,” says Mr Weaver. “So we tried to associate ourselves with figures such as Ricky Martin as well as with Latin American and Spanish football,” he says.
So far, thanks also in part to a new “extra crisp” line of chicken, sales are reportedly strong. Juan José Gutiérrez, Pollo Campero’s chief executive, recently told La Opinión, the US Spanish language daily newspaper, that: “The Latin concept is well received and they loved our chicken.”
Here is more. It is very good chicken, I like the branch in Falls Church, on Colombia Pike. I might add that there is a notable trend of successful Latino multinationals. If Pollo Campero shows nothing else, it is too early to pronounce the Latino market-oriented reforms to be failures.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on March 22, 2008 at 07:17 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink
Comments
Honestly, Pollo Campero is some of the best chicken I've ever had. I had no idea they had them in the US. Now, if they would export their Tacontento restaurants, I'd be set.
Posted by: Daniel at Mar 22, 2008 10:51:42 AM
I work at 388 Nanjing West Road in Shanghai, which has Pollo Campero's first store in China. As a big fan of Latin American food, not to mention good value, I frequently have lunch in their store. The price point (~$2.50) is below the nearby McDonald's ($4) or Burger King ($3.50) and the food is quite complementary to my occidental sensibilities. (Although I do wish they used Heinz ketchup on the french fries.) Despite heavy leafletting of the area, I suspect that they could do more business. The store is two blocks away from the former site of Taco Bell Grande--also a Latin American restaurant.
Chinese do not particularly like Latin American food because they perceive the area as not being wealthy. There is a big ingrained cultural bias to be associated with wealth and success---a large part of Yao Ming's appeal is that he has made so much money.
Anyway, I hope that Pollo Campero is successful because I prefer their food to the dominant local fast food companies KFC and McDonald's....but feel that they need to adjust before living up to expectations in China.
Posted by: Cameron at Mar 22, 2008 12:47:13 PM
It's odd that latin culture has become so popular in China while not in the U.S, even as the country becomes more hispanic. Americans were more into latin culture in the 50s.
Posted by: TGGP at Mar 22, 2008 8:39:38 PM
There is new Pollo Campero about 1 block from the Columbia Heights metro in Washington DC. They have a timeline of their stores and the style changes of their Chicken character who now wears bibs and has BIG chicken feet. If the area takes off, they could have a hit on their hands since they are close to Target. Interesting to see entrepreneurs finding niches in US of A.
Posted by: stevehar at Mar 24, 2008 4:29:50 PM
Latin chicken has become the coffee of the 00's in some ways. There are about 5 copycat chains that I know of in the DC suburbs.
Posted by: Rimfax at Mar 24, 2008 6:20:58 PM
I work at the same place as Cameron, 388 Nanjing West Road in Shanghai - home of the Pollo Campero. I'm glad Cameron likes it because the food gives me the shakes. Both times I've eaten there I've felt ill - like I just got done eating a bucket of MSG.
I don't think their business is doing so well - it's a high cost location and they dump so much many into marketing materials, not to mention that damn chicken walking around outside nearly everyday.
As for loving the chicken and appealing to the local crowd I'm gonna call BS on that. Pollo Campero isn't 1/10th as busy as the nearest KFC and my informal poll has shown exactly 0 people prefer it to the mighty Col. Sanders. (n=10)
I found this line laughable: "Chinese people are obsessed with Latin pop culture". News to me!
Posted by: Newton D. Figg at Mar 25, 2008 10:36:37 AM
