High Desert-based Los Pollos Bros. expands restaurant brand through franchising

A High Desert business owner, who successfully opened two Los Pollos Bros. restaurants amid the COVID-19 shutdown, is about to expand his mom-and-pop chicken empire.

Jose Perez told the Daily Press that he’s been approved to begin franchising his restaurant, which has been built on the cornerstone of his specially-marinated rotisserie-style chicken that takes nearly three hours to cook.

“My interest in franchising began to grow after opening our third restaurant last year,”  said Perez, 40. “That interest was fueled when I was overwhelmed with requests from customers asking me to open stores in different parts of the High Desert and Southern California.”

Perez soon began researching how to expand his brand through independent operators willing to maintain the quality and service exhibited at his restaurants in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville.

Joining the Los Pollos Bros. family

Franchisees will need a passion and understanding that the Los Pollos Bros. brand includes a full menu of items that are made daily, in-house and from scratch, Perez said.

Some of the menu items include tacos, burritos, taquitos, nachos, quesadillas, sopes, beans, rice, menu bowls, boneless wings and rotisserie-style chicken meals.

Storefront franchise opportunities can range from an investment of $244,800 to $532,000, which includes a one-time franchise fee of $30,000.

The initial investment covers many essential expenses associated with opening a franchise location, such as fixtures, furniture, inventory and construction of any leasehold improvements.

Franchisees are required to pay 6% of the store’s gross sales on royalty and advertising fees.

New store operators will be required to participate in a 59-hour training program that includes all aspects of the company’s business model, including menu, food prices, cooking techniques, and more.

Perez hopes the challenges that he faces in the restaurant industry — such as fuel prices, inventory costs and employee retention — are mitigated for potential franchisees.

“The franchising world is new to me, so it’s going to take some time before it takes off,” Perez said. “I’m hoping that the right people who believe in what we’re doing will join the Los Pollos Bros. family.”

Los Pollos Bros. history

Perez opened his first restaurant in 2005 under a different name and model. Ten years later, he transformed his restaurant, which included changing its name to Los Pollos Bros.

In 2020, Perez opened the Apple Valley location at a shuttered Taco Bell just as state officials ordered nearly 40 million Californians to stay home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

At the time, businesses closed their doors or remained open with restrictions, school districts suspended classes, gyms and movie theaters shuttered and many filed for unemployment.

Perez said he could have postponed the opening but realized that many of his employees were struggling and needed a paycheck.

Perez credited his first drive-through location as the secret ingredient that allowed the Apple Valley store to open.

During a store tour, Perez showed off the heart of the kitchen: Two commercial chicken rotisserie machines that came with a price tag of nearly $20,000 each.

“One of these rotisseries will cook 56 chickens every 2 ½ hours,” Perez said. “They come out hot and dripping with tasty juices.”

In 2021, Perez opened his third restaurant inside the building that formerly housed the Cancun Mexican & Seafood restaurant on Main Street in Hesperia.

The 2,900-square-foot restaurant is unique from his Apple Valley and Victorville locations because the Hesperia location offers a larger indoor dining area, patio seating and a full bar.

Opening each location came with a different set of hurdles, Perez said. For Hesperia, the challenges include the bar itself, which offers wine, beer, mixed drinks and a variety of bar food, such as boneless wings and chicharrones (fried pork rinds).

The Hesperia Los Pollos Bros. is located at 15550 Main Street. The Apple Valley restaurant is at 12218 Apple Valley Road, Suite 201. The Victorville location at 12190 on Hesperia Road.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Los Pollos Bros. expands restaurant brand with franchising