Internationally Famous Chicken Eatery Opening Soon Outside Annapolis Mall

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Central American chicken restaurant Pollo Campero is opening soon outside the Annapolis Mall, marking the latest change at the recently sold shopping hub.

Pollo Campero is located in the former M&T Bank, which closed in June 2018. The quick-service establishment, situated at 901 Bestgate Road, will have a drive-thru.

The exact opening date hasn't been announced, but the eatery looks almost finished.

Sitting across from The Container Store, Pollo Campero will offer fried and grilled chicken. There will also be salads, bowls, empanadas and sandwiches. Refreshments will include horchata and mango juices.

Pollo Campero was founded in Guatemala in 1971.

"To us, Campero means flavor," the restaurant's website said. "A deep, rich and unique taste that can only be obtained by uniting the freshest ingredients with the best, complementary spices. It's about combining generations of family recipes into the perfect, savory bite."

This will be the first Pollo Campero in Anne Arundel County and the ninth in Maryland. The others are located in:

• Bethesda (Montgomery Mall)
• Columbia (Columbia Mall)
• Frederick
• Gaithersburg
• Hyattsville
• Laurel
• Langley Park
• Wheaton

Pollo Campero is also opening at White Marsh Mall in Nottingham this year.

When Patch photographed the exterior of the forthcoming Annapolis location on April 22, we could see booths, tables and high-tops inside. There was seating for dozens of customers. The front door featured signs reading "Welcome to Annapolis" and "Our chicken makes life more flavorful."

The dining room and kitchen looked nearly complete, so the eatery appeared to be in its final stretch of preparation.

The Annapolis Mall has made headlines several times in the past month.

New Village Academy, a tuition-free public charter school, on April 16 canceled its plans to open above The Container Store this fall. Forever 21 closed at the mall on April 29.

That same day, JCPenney told Patch it had signed a lease extension, delaying its closure planned for May 16. The department store will now stay open at the mall through at least Aug. 31 as it tries to negotiate a long-term lease. That complicates realtor proposals to redevelop the JCPenney into a supermarket, gym, craft store and two additional retailers.

The announcements come during a time of change at the Annapolis Mall, which hopes to reinvent itself under new ownership.

An ownership group headlined by Centennial bought the mall for $160 million last July from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Paris-based URW has looked to sell many of its U.S. malls, instead turning toward luxury centers in Europe.

Centennial, a real estate firm headquartered in Dallas, plans to update the tenant mix at the Annapolis Mall. It envisions upscale retailers, experiential-based businesses, a wider variety of food options and the potential addition of housing down the line.

Related:

• Annapolis JCPenney Won't Close In May, Will Stay Open Through August
• Charter School Cancels 2025 Opening At Mall Amid Trump Cuts, Tariffs
• Forever 21 Closure Date At Annapolis Mall Announced Amid Bankruptcy
• Retailer JCPenney To Close MD Location In 2025
• DICK'S, Dave & Buster's Opening At Recently Sold Annapolis Mall
• Annapolis Mall Sold Amid Changing Retail Scene: Report