Señor Pollo operator finds niche with Sinaloa-style chicken, dreams of more locations

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

TAYLORSVILLE — When he launched his first restaurant, Jesus Ruiz, originally from Mexico, was adamant about one thing — he didn't want to sell tacos.

"It was just something I didn't want to do," he said.

Perhaps the reticence stemmed from the ubiquity of tacos on the menus of many, if not most, Mexican restaurants. Whatever it was, he zeroed in on chicken — more specifically, Sinaloa-style chicken. Six years later, that first Señor Pollo Mexican Grill in Ogden, which opened in February 2018, has multiplied into six locations in all — two owned by Ruiz, four others by franchisees — and Ruiz dreams of more.

"I wanted to grow my name as quickly as possible," Ruiz said, seated at a table in the Taylorsville Señor Pollo, one of the two that he owns, along with a location in Sugar House.

Indeed, he says a franchise will soon open in Midvale, probably by November, with another in the works in New York, to be operated by an aspiring restaurant operator he met in Utah. He's in talks with others about even more locations. "Nothing's concrete now, but yes, there are potential customers in Utah and outside of Utah," he said.

He also dreams of marketing the salsa he serves with the Señor Pollo food and selling it in grocery stores. "I'm working on a place just to make salsa. That's the next project," he said.

'I didn't know anything'

Ruiz, brought by his parents to the United States from the Mexican state of Michoacan when he was 9 years old, has long been involved in restaurants. In Mexico, his parents would sell food from the street or stands, and he got his start in Utah when he was 14, washing dishes at a Bountiful locale managed by his brother. His sister later opened a restaurant with her husband, and he also worked for them, learning the varied duties that come with the business — cashiering, managing and cooking.

By his early 20s, he'd burned out on the work, moving on to construction and the hotel business. "I did a little bit of everything," he said.

After the birth of his and his wife's first child, though, he knew he needed something more permanent. He opened a small cleaning company, and it went well. Then came an opportunity to get back into the restaurant business. There's this space that's opening up in Ogden, said his father-in-law.

He jumped at the opportunity, borrowing from the Mexican chicken concept his brother had tapped when he ran a restaurant. Per the Sinaloa style, as Ruiz describes it, chicken is marinated, split lengthwise and grilled.

However, getting a business off the ground can be tough work, and Ruiz learned that he had a lot to learn. "I knew how to operate a restaurant, but I didn't know anything about business. I didn't even know I needed permits," he said.

He found his footing and opened the new business' doors, but then a major road construction project on the streets immediately outside the Ogden locale reduced customer traffic to a trickle.

"I wanted to throw in the towel in the first few months," he said, remembering the long days and long commutes between Ogden and his Salt Lake County home. "But I didn't. ... I wanted something better in my life."

'A product that differs'

He kept at it, word spread about his food, the construction project ended and business improved. The grilled chicken, marinated in a secret sauce he won't reveal, is the main attraction — "The best chicken in the USA" — along with sides like rice, beans and macaroni salad.

"I have a product that you can only find in certain places. It's not like a taco, burrito, or enchilada that you can find in every restaurant," said Ruiz, who now lives in Riverton with his family. "I have a product that differs from every other Mexican restaurant."

Then, he shifted his business model to franchising. He also added tacos and other items to the menu, catering to those wanting more traditional Mexican fare.

Franchising has had its ups and downs. Locations in Orem, Vernal and Salt Lake City have closed due to a range of issues, including lack of adherence to franchise standards. Still, the six outlets remain — the original Ogden location, now operated by a franchisee, franchises in Clinton, West Valley City and Rose Park, and the two locations operated by Ruiz.

"As a franchise, you have to follow all the rules and ways of operating a franchise," he said.

But Ruiz isn't slowing down, and he remains driven, perhaps by the same forces that kept him operating the Ogden locale in the early days when it seemed like things wouldn't work out.

He's eager to franchise more locations and get his salsa operation off the ground. He has a mantra that seems to underlie his drive: "Stay hungry," he said.