Pollo Campero Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Pollo Campero is a quick-service franchise serving Latin-style fried and grilled chicken with a global following. Franchisees run restaurants with drive-thru and dine-in service, managing food prep and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A POLLO CAMPERO franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.5M – $3.8M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $3.9M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.5M – $3.8M
- 97th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $3.9M
- 34th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 92
- 76th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $1.5M – $3.8M including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $3.9M/year (median $4.3M).
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 71/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGAuditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Campero USA Corp.
- Parent company
- Campero, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- Campero International Holdings Corp.
- CEO title
- Executive President, Chief Operating Officer, and Managing Director
- Luis Javier Rodas
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 12404 Park Central Drive, Suite 250N, Dallas, Texas 75251
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $229.9M
- vs $186.8M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2024
- Status as of 2024; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Luis Javier Rodas
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2003
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 18
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 295% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown34 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Freestanding)not refundable | $30K | $40K | |
| Rent (Freestanding)not refundable | — | — | |
| Real Property: Building / Build-Out Costs (Freestanding)not refundable | $840K | $1.5M | |
| Real Property: Site Development Costs (Freestanding)not refundable | $25K | $800K | |
| Soft Costs (Freestanding)not refundable | $50K | $250K | |
| Additional Development Costs (Freestanding)not refundable | $50K | $125K | |
| Restaurant Furniture, Equipment, Fixtures, and Decor (Freestanding)not refundable | $295K | $600K | |
| Signs (Freestanding)not refundable | $100K | $120K | |
| POS (Freestanding)not refundable | $40K | $60K | |
| Opening Inventory (Freestanding)not refundable | $17K | $32K | |
| Business and Operating Permits (Freestanding)not refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Initial Training Travel & Living Expenses (Freestanding)not refundable | $13K | $38K | |
| Insurance (Freestanding)not refundable | $10K | $25K | |
| Uniforms (Freestanding)not refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs (Freestanding)not refundable | $5K | $24K | |
| Marketing Start-Up Expenditure (Freestanding)not refundable | $40K | $80K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months (Freestanding)not refundable | $36K | $50K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (In-Line)not refundable | $30K | $40K | |
| Rent (In-Line)not refundable | — | — | |
| Real Property: Building / Build-Out Costs (In-Line)not refundable | $840K | $1.5M | |
| Total initial investment | $3.0M | $6.6M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $1.5M – $3.8M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $36K – $50K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $17K – $32K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 219% above the quick-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$616K
16.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
23%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.3 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one POLLO CAMPERO unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
23%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 POLLO CAMPERO units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
24.9%
3.04× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
3.39×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$19.3M
on $34.7M purchase
Total debt
$15.4M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $3.9M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $4.3M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 11 outlets
- vs category median 20
- Range (low → high)
- $2.5M→$5.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- none
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $3.9M/year in gross sales. Median ($4.3M) exceeds the average — distribution is bottom-heavy but most units perform well. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.5x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -11.8% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 10% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Pollo Campero Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 92
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 77
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 16%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 10.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +36.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -11.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Ceased ops
- 3.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 10 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 8 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 8
- Loan volume
- $6.0M
- Median loan
- $748K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (8 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
⚠ Grade capped at C: the auditor disclosed a going-concern note (FDD Item 21). The verdict score reflects the underlying financials before that cap.
Aggressive growth trajectory with undisclosed profitability metrics and high capital requirements present meaningful risk despite strong top-line revenue.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 71 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORHigh unit growth rate (36.4% YoY) may indicate aggressive expansion with unproven unit economics
- 02MINORWide investment range ($1.45M–$3.75M) suggests high variability in startup costs and potential hidden expenses
- 03MINOR5% royalty on gross sales (not net) creates fixed cost burden regardless of profitability
- 04MINORNo disclosure of franchisee failure rate, break-even timeline, or payback period
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 74 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 406 hrs
- Training location
- Designated training restaurant and/or corporate office
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Franchisee identifies, franchisor reviews and accepts
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- NCR Aloha
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: NCR Aloha
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
18 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
POLLO CAMPERO · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a POLLO CAMPERO franchise?
The total investment to open a POLLO CAMPERO franchise ranges from $1.5M – $3.8M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do POLLO CAMPERO franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the POLLO CAMPERO FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $3.9M. The median is $4.3M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the POLLO CAMPERO FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the POLLO CAMPERO FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is POLLO CAMPERO's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for POLLO CAMPERO (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many POLLO CAMPERO franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, POLLO CAMPERO has 92 total units in the United States, including 15 franchised units and 77 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is POLLO CAMPERO a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates POLLO CAMPERO as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 71 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent POLLO CAMPERO, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.