Pollo Campero Delivers 450 Hot Meals to Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

The evacuees, many of whom are families, also received a coupon donated by Pollo Campero for another meal at any of the Los Angeles area restaurants while children received Frisbee® toys. The lunch, co-ordinated by the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division, was held on Friday, September 9, 2005. The company also conducted on-site interviews of individuals interested in employment.

“Donating meals is our small contribution in the effort to alleviate the suffering of these displaced families,” José Cofiño, president and chief operating officer of Adir Restaurants Corp., master franchisor for Pollo Campero in six western states, said in a press release. “Providing a job is one way we can help these people get a new start.”

Frank Mitchell, Director of Human Resources for Campero West, spearheaded a call for donations from colleagues at other businesses who responded immediately. Irwindale Motor Speedway provided passes to a race and Foothhill Transit Authority volunteered busses to transport the group to the Speedway. The First Christian Church of Wilmington donated kids’ backpacks to all of the children.

First established in Guatemala and El Salvador in 1971 and then in six other Central American countries, Pollo Campero opened its first U.S. location in Los Angeles in 2002, and had block-long lines of customers waiting up to seven hours for the restaurant’s tender, juicy, crunchy chicken, richly flavorful rice and pinto beans. Since then, 9 stores have opened in Los Angeles; two more will open by the end of 2005, one in San Bernardino, a new market area for the company.