Juan Pollo
Encyclopedia
Juan Pollo is a restaurant chain based in Southern California
that specializes in rotisserie
-broiled Mexican-style roast chicken
. It was founded in 1984 by Albert Okura. His first restaurant job was working at Burger King
(Harbor City, California) in 1970.
In 1981 Albert was working at the Del Taco
in Carson, California
. Across the street, a Mexican chicken restaurant opened called El Pollo Loco
. He was very impressed with their cooking style (char-broiled) and their simplicity of operations. About this time, Albert met Armando Parra, an immigrant from Mexico (Chihuahua, Mexico
) who mentioned that he had restaurants back home and knew all about char-broiled chicken.
In the summer of 1983, Okura's uncle and primary source of financing told him of a restaurant which had become available in Ontario
in a heavily Hispanic
part of town. Remembering his discussions about restaurants with his friend, Armando Parra, he gave him a call. Upon examining the location, Parra told Okura that the site was inadequate to accommodate a large open-flame grilling system like that used by El Pollo Loco. Parra suggested the use of a rotisserie like he used in Mexico. Armando agreed to help Albert organize the restaurant and come up with a recipe.`
After investing $60,000 in improvements, the restaurant was ready by December 1983. First-day operations in January 1984 totaled U.S. $165.00. Although the first year's sales were sparse, Albert made a personal commitment to stick with Juan Pollo for five years no matter what.
By 1985, sales were on the rise as Okura and Parra perfected the process. Five factors weighed heavily on the outcome, namely the quality of the chicken itself as previously mentioned, the size of the chicken (maximum three pounds/1kg), the length of cooking time (three hours), the temperature of the gas-fired
burners and the size of its flames.
A second location opened in nearby San Bernardino
in January 1986 on the corner of Fifth Street and Mount Vernon Avenue, an early alignment of Route 66
. An unsolicited and highly positive review by Norman Baffry, a popular food critic from the San Bernardino Sun, caused a literal 50% increase in sales overnight.
Growth occurred between 1986 and 1990 and Okura trained his hourly employees in the hopes that they would open their own Juan Pollo restaurant. A majority of current Juan Pollo Restaurants are owned and operated by ex-hourly employees. Juan Pollo is not a family operation and not yet a franchising corporation. It has grown to 33 locations, primarily in the Inland Empire
and Orange County
; its newest location is in Coachella
in 2008.
In 1998, Albert had the opportunity to purchase the site of the original McDonald's
restaurant started by Dick and Mac McDonald in 1948. Located on the business loop of Route 66
and near his corporate office in San Bernardino, Albert jumped at the opportunity and along with moving his office, established an unofficial McDonald's Museum specializing in the early San Bernardino years.
Juan Pollo has become involved with the Route 66 revival. Juan Pollo hosts its own annual Veteran's Day Parade and Car Show in front of the McDonald's Museum. Juan Pollo also has been the main toy contributor for the annual Christmas toy give away at the Route 66 park, La Placita on Mt. Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino.
In 2005, the historic Route 66 town of Amboy, California
was for sale by the original owner, Bessie Burris. Albert and Bessie made an immediate connection and within a day agreed on a purchase price of $425,000 for the entire town even though she originally sold the town in 1998 for almost $1,000,000 (Amboy's previous owners were foreclosed on). The marketing of Juan Pollo through its increasing involvement with Route 66 is designed to create a name awareness to the numerous world wide visitors of the Route.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
that specializes in rotisserie
Rotisserie
Rotisserie is a style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit - a long solid rod used to hold food while it is being cooked over a fire in a fireplace or over a campfire, or roasted in an oven. This method is generally used for cooking large joints of meat or entire animals, such as pigs,...
-broiled Mexican-style roast chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. It was founded in 1984 by Albert Okura. His first restaurant job was working at Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
(Harbor City, California) in 1970.
In 1981 Albert was working at the Del Taco
Del Taco
Del Taco is a North American fast food restaurant chain which specializes in American-style Mexican cuisine as well as American foods such as burgers, fries, and shakes...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
. Across the street, a Mexican chicken restaurant opened called El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Mexican grilled chicken, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. "El Pollo Loco" is Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken".Their main dish is pollo asado, a grilled marinated chicken...
. He was very impressed with their cooking style (char-broiled) and their simplicity of operations. About this time, Albert met Armando Parra, an immigrant from Mexico (Chihuahua, Mexico
Chihuahua, Mexico
Chihuahua, Mexico, may refer to:* The State of Chihuahua in Mexico* The City of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, its capital...
) who mentioned that he had restaurants back home and knew all about char-broiled chicken.
In the summer of 1983, Okura's uncle and primary source of financing told him of a restaurant which had become available in Ontario
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
in a heavily Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
part of town. Remembering his discussions about restaurants with his friend, Armando Parra, he gave him a call. Upon examining the location, Parra told Okura that the site was inadequate to accommodate a large open-flame grilling system like that used by El Pollo Loco. Parra suggested the use of a rotisserie like he used in Mexico. Armando agreed to help Albert organize the restaurant and come up with a recipe.`
After investing $60,000 in improvements, the restaurant was ready by December 1983. First-day operations in January 1984 totaled U.S. $165.00. Although the first year's sales were sparse, Albert made a personal commitment to stick with Juan Pollo for five years no matter what.
By 1985, sales were on the rise as Okura and Parra perfected the process. Five factors weighed heavily on the outcome, namely the quality of the chicken itself as previously mentioned, the size of the chicken (maximum three pounds/1kg), the length of cooking time (three hours), the temperature of the gas-fired
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
burners and the size of its flames.
A second location opened in nearby San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
in January 1986 on the corner of Fifth Street and Mount Vernon Avenue, an early alignment of Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. An unsolicited and highly positive review by Norman Baffry, a popular food critic from the San Bernardino Sun, caused a literal 50% increase in sales overnight.
Growth occurred between 1986 and 1990 and Okura trained his hourly employees in the hopes that they would open their own Juan Pollo restaurant. A majority of current Juan Pollo Restaurants are owned and operated by ex-hourly employees. Juan Pollo is not a family operation and not yet a franchising corporation. It has grown to 33 locations, primarily in the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
and Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
; its newest location is in Coachella
Coachella, California
Coachella is a city in Riverside County, California; it is the easternmost city in the region collectively known as the Coachella Valley...
in 2008.
In 1998, Albert had the opportunity to purchase the site of the original McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant started by Dick and Mac McDonald in 1948. Located on the business loop of Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
and near his corporate office in San Bernardino, Albert jumped at the opportunity and along with moving his office, established an unofficial McDonald's Museum specializing in the early San Bernardino years.
Juan Pollo has become involved with the Route 66 revival. Juan Pollo hosts its own annual Veteran's Day Parade and Car Show in front of the McDonald's Museum. Juan Pollo also has been the main toy contributor for the annual Christmas toy give away at the Route 66 park, La Placita on Mt. Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino.
In 2005, the historic Route 66 town of Amboy, California
Amboy, California
Amboy is an unincorporated town in San Bernardino County, in California's Mojave Desert, west of Needles and east of Ludlow on historic Route 66. It is roughly 60 miles northeast of Twentynine Palms.-Geography:...
was for sale by the original owner, Bessie Burris. Albert and Bessie made an immediate connection and within a day agreed on a purchase price of $425,000 for the entire town even though she originally sold the town in 1998 for almost $1,000,000 (Amboy's previous owners were foreclosed on). The marketing of Juan Pollo through its increasing involvement with Route 66 is designed to create a name awareness to the numerous world wide visitors of the Route.