Rice is both a side dish and the foundation of menu items at Pollo Campero, the Guatemalan fast-food chain that has brought zesty Latin American fried chicken as far as Chicago and Shanghai.
The popular Campero rice it offers on the side has the hallmarks of two Latin traditions: Mexican-style rice, which is spicy, colored and flavored with tomato, and Central American arroz a la jardinera, or garden rice, which is mixed with carrots, green peas and onions. The essential ingredient in these dishes is U.S.-grown, long-grain parboiled rice, prepared with fresh vegetables, chicken broth and seasonings.
Rice is also an integral part of such core menu items as the Grilled Chicken Bowl and Crunchy Chicken Bowl as well as burritos and arroz con leche, a creamy Latin rice pudding with milk, cinnamon, sugar and raisins.
"We know Americans love their rice," says Fernando Palarea, quality assurance and R&D manager for Campero USA in Dallas, the company's 36-unit U.S. arm. "We feel rice is an ideal carrier of flavors and can mix with anything."
"Operationally, it also makes sense for us as rice holds very well, reheats fantastically and travels great," says Palarea. "Training your people how to prep the rice properly is also easy. It’s all about choosing the right form of rice and knowing how to prep it."
