Julio Sánchez, the former chief operating officer of CKE International, is now leading Pollo Campero's U.S. business as CEO, effective immediately. The Dallas-based appointment arrives as the Guatemalan-born quick-service chain eclipses 150 domestic restaurants and pushes toward broader national expansion.

Sánchez brings more than 25 years of multi-brand, multi-region experience to the role, having previously held senior leadership positions at Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Church's Chicken in addition to CKE International (Carl's Jr.). His resume spans operations, franchising, development, and brand transformation across North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe — a range that maps closely to Pollo Campero's existing footprint of more than 400 restaurants across the United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, and Ecuador.

Strategic Priorities

In his new role, Sánchez will focus on four near-term priorities: improving operational excellence, accelerating same-store sales growth, increasing brand awareness in the U.S. market, and elevating the overall guest experience. Those pillars reflect the kind of foundational work common to brands attempting to scale past the regional-favorite stage into mainstream QSR consideration — a challenge well-documented in restaurant industry growth coverage.

"Julio combines deep operational expertise with sound business judgment and a proven record of delivering results. He is the right leader to guide Campero into its next stage of growth," said José Gregorio Baquero, global CEO of CMI Foods, the parent division of Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), the family-owned conglomerate that owns the brand.

Sánchez himself pointed to the brand's heritage as a draw. "I was immediately drawn to Campero's heritage, sense of hospitality and, of course, flavor," he said, adding a commitment to keeping restaurant team members and guests central to every decision.

Leadership Transition

The appointment follows the departure of Luis Javier Rodas, who served as chief operating officer and concluded nearly 26 years with CMI on October 16. His exit marks the close of a long tenure that covered much of the brand's initial U.S. establishment and early growth.

For operators and franchise watchers, the Sánchez hire signals that Pollo Campero's parent is leaning into experienced QSR infrastructure leadership rather than a brand-marketing profile — a choice that tends to indicate franchisee growth and unit-level economics are the primary levers being pulled. The brand's emphasis on fried and roasted chicken made from multigenerational family recipes positions it squarely in the competitive fast-casual and QSR chicken segment, where differentiation through flavor story and cultural authenticity has proven a viable growth strategy for brands targeting U.S. Latino communities and beyond.

With more than 10,000 employees globally and over a century of history behind its CMI parent, Pollo Campero is not a startup finding its footing — but the U.S. market remains its most significant expansion frontier, and Sánchez's cross-brand experience will be tested as the chain competes for share in one of foodservice's most crowded categories.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.