Pollo Tropical announced this week that the first of five new restaurants planned with franchisee El Machetazo in Panama has opened. The new restaurant is located in the Albrook Mall in Panama City, Panama's largest shopping center.
El Machetazo is a family-owned company founded more than 40 years ago by the late Juan Ramón Poll Cabrera. Among its holdings are 12 hypermarkets of the same name that operate throughout Panama and employ more than 3,000 people. The company also owns and operates 12 Café Caney coffee/pastry shops located inside the markets.
"Panama is an established banking, shipping and tourism-based economy that has seen phenomenal growth in recent years. It also shares strong cultural and business connections with Pollo Tropical's hometown of Miami," said Marc Mushkin, senior vice president of International Development for Pollo Tropical. "We are proud to be represented by the Machetazo Group in Panama because of both their strength as a nationwide retailer with extensive landholdings and established infrastructure."
The new Pollo Tropical is located immediately outside the "Elefante" entrance of the mall, adjacent to other popular restaurants. It seats 60 guests and serves the brand's signature flame-grilled marinated chicken, roast pork, guava barbecue ribs and made-from-scratch side dishes.
El Machetazo has two additional free-standing Pollo Tropical units currently under construction in the Panama City area. The first will open at the Versalles development and the second will be located at the Brisas del Golf Shopping Center, located in Panama City's east side. Additionally, El Machetazo has an in-line Pollo Tropical model in development in the Panama City Multi-Plaza shopping center.
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