Fast-casual restaurant chain Pollo Campero has appointed Karla Patino as Vice President of U.S. Marketing and Sales, strengthening its leadership team as the company accelerates its nationwide expansion strategy. The appointment comes as the brand surpasses 150 U.S. restaurants and advances its goal of reaching 250 locations by 2030, with a continued focus on engaging Hispanic consumers through culturally relevant marketing and localized growth initiatives.

As restaurant brands compete for consumer attention in an increasingly digital and culturally diverse marketplace, marketing leadership has become a critical driver of long-term growth. Pollo Campero, the Guatemalan-born fast-casual restaurant chain, has named Karla Patino as Vice President of U.S. Marketing and Sales, reinforcing its investment in brand expansion and customer engagement across the United States.

In her new role, Patino will oversee marketing and sales strategy for Campero USA, leading initiatives designed to deepen customer relationships, expand brand awareness, and strengthen the company's connection with U.S. Hispanic consumers. Her appointment aligns with Pollo Campero's broader expansion strategy as the company plans to increase its U.S. footprint from more than 150 restaurants today to approximately 250 locations by 2030.

The leadership change reflects a growing trend across the restaurant industry, where quick-service and fast-casual brands are increasingly investing in experienced marketing executives to support digital transformation, customer loyalty, and omnichannel engagement.

Patino brings nearly two decades of brand-building experience across several of the restaurant industry's largest global chains. Throughout her career, she has held senior marketing positions with Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, Chipotle, and Subway, developing expertise in brand strategy, international market expansion, customer acquisition, and category growth.

Most recently, Patino served as Chief Marketing Officer for Taco Bell Latin America, where she led the brand's first international artist partnership through a Taco Tuesday campaign featuring Latin music artist Myke Towers. During her tenure within the Yum! Brands portfolio, she also helped lead business turnarounds for KFC operations across Colombia, Costa Rica, and Brazil while supporting new market expansion initiatives, including Taco Bell's entry into Ecuador.

Her appointment signals Pollo Campero's intention to strengthen its marketing capabilities during a period of accelerated growth. As restaurant competition intensifies, brands are increasingly differentiating themselves through customer experience, digital engagement, loyalty programs, and culturally relevant storytelling rather than menu innovation alone.

For Pollo Campero, cultural authenticity remains central to its positioning. Founded in Guatemala and widely recognized across Latin America, the company has steadily expanded its presence in the United States by serving both Hispanic communities seeking familiar flavors and broader consumer audiences exploring international cuisine.

The company's emphasis on Hispanic consumer engagement also reflects broader demographic and economic trends. According to McKinsey & Company, multicultural consumers continue to represent one of the fastest-growing drivers of consumer spending in the United States, making culturally informed marketing an increasingly important competitive advantage. Meanwhile, Statista projects continued growth across the U.S. quick-service restaurant market as brands invest in digital ordering, personalized marketing, and customer loyalty technologies.

For marketing organizations, leadership appointments such as Patino's increasingly extend beyond traditional advertising responsibilities. Modern restaurant marketing executives oversee omnichannel customer engagement strategies spanning mobile applications, loyalty programs, customer relationship management (CRM), digital advertising, social media, influencer partnerships, and localized community outreach.

Technology platforms from companies including Google, Adobe, Salesforce, and Microsoft continue to expand AI-powered marketing, customer analytics, and personalization capabilities that help restaurant brands better understand customer behavior and deliver more relevant experiences across digital and physical channels.

For growing restaurant chains like Pollo Campero, combining operational expansion with data-driven marketing will likely be essential to sustaining customer acquisition while strengthening long-term brand loyalty.

The company's ambitious expansion plan also underscores the continued growth opportunities within the U.S. fast-casual restaurant sector. As consumer preferences evolve toward convenience, digital ordering, and authentic culinary experiences, brands that successfully combine cultural heritage with modern marketing strategies are increasingly well positioned to compete against established national restaurant chains.

Patino's experience leading regional and international marketing initiatives across multiple global restaurant brands provides Pollo Campero with leadership expertise that supports both operational expansion and customer-centric brand development. As the company works toward its 2030 growth targets, marketing strategy will play an increasingly important role in differentiating the brand within the highly competitive quick-service restaurant landscape.

Market Landscape

Restaurant marketing is increasingly driven by digital customer engagement, loyalty ecosystems, AI-powered personalization, and first-party customer data. Quick-service and fast-casual brands are investing heavily in CRM platforms, mobile ordering, omnichannel marketing automation, and localized campaigns to improve customer retention and increase lifetime value. As multicultural audiences become a larger share of U.S. consumer spending, culturally relevant marketing strategies are becoming a key competitive differentiator for expanding restaurant brands.

Top Insights

• Pollo Campero has appointed Karla Patino as Vice President of U.S. Marketing and Sales to support brand expansion and strengthen engagement with Hispanic consumers.
• Patino brings nearly 20 years of marketing leadership experience across Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, Chipotle, and Subway, including international market expansion expertise.
• The appointment supports Pollo Campero's objective of expanding from more than 150 U.S. restaurants to 250 locations by 2030.
• The company continues investing in culturally relevant marketing as Hispanic consumers become an increasingly influential segment within the U.S. restaurant industry.
• The leadership move reflects broader restaurant industry investments in digital marketing, customer experience, loyalty programs, and AI-powered personalization technologies.

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