Don Rancherito, the chicken shop that managed to go viral and today wants to go to the major leagues

How can this “obsession” of Peruvians with the grilled chicken? There is no celebration or special moment in life where a hot chicken with potatoes and salad has not been witnessed. Alan Rodríguez –owner of Don Rancherito, along with his wife Aylen Quispe–, thinks that, beyond a good seasoning, a grilled chicken has the magic of evoking the best memories with your loved ones. That’s his secret: get to the heart.

“A grilled chicken brings emotions in the Peruvian. I see one poultry in the neighborhood and I am automatically transported to the moment when dad took me to ‘jironear’ as a child at a poultry, I rolled up my polo shirt so as not to get dirty and start tasting that grilled chick with potatoes and cream; or when, during the terrorism, my mother promised me a chicken quarter for my birthday when she came home from work. It was already night, there was a blackout, and I just wanted her to come back.” Rodríguez tells us about his first memories with this obligatory dish on Peruvian tables.

“More than the chicken itself, this dish has accompanied us at every important moment, that is why the Peruvians missed the chicken so much. grilled chicken during the lockdown in the pandemic, they missed the experience of going out to eat it on a Sunday”.

Success on Twitter

Mr. Rancherito was born during the pandemic with the sole purpose of paying the bills. Once Alan and Aylen’s business they had to close as a result of the quarantine, during the confinement the couple devised a way to stand out together, doing what they knew best: cooking with a lot of love for others. Thus, Aylen Quispe began to experiment with various dishes and came up with the recipe for grilled chicken that led them to success. First, they cooked for themselves, without an oven, they only got charcoal, an upside-down pot and a lot of ingenuity. They invited the chicken to their relatives and, after approval, they bought a small oven for 6 chickens and production began.

But it was their proximity to social networks, especially Twitter, that allowed them to go viral promoting vaccination with Sinopharm with a raffle: the card with the vaccine had to be shown and the public could participate. This was a ‘boom’ and Mr. Rancherito He became much better known and loved by his followers to this day, and they have not stopped speaking out and giving their opinion on their Twitter account on some current issue or launching promotions such as the recent “Electoral Promo” for the elections.

Rodríguez affirms that what differentiates them from other chicken shops it is “Definitely the seasoning. She does not have to be unique, but she does have to be honest, like those of yesteryear”, Rodriguez says. “We have a very good seasoning because my wife has studied gastronomy and when we were locked up she experimented with different styles, but we always went back to the basics that a restaurant should have. grilled chicken of yore. We have the Peruvian chips that we chop by hand and process here, the creams, and always remember where we come from”. You could say that the recipe for your grilled chicken it is the classic; however, the secret is in the proportions of the ingredients that they keep under lock and key. “Our chicken is slow cooked, approximately 1 hour and a half. It is done slowly, with love and without haste”.

Currently, Mr. Rancherito it has the capacity to ship 100 chickens a day and its founders feel ready to compete in the major leagues. He recently opened his first ‘dark kitchen’ in Surquillo from where he distributes delivery to all of Lima. “We have never refused to send an order even if it is very far away”affirms the owner and believes that this opening has been, at the same time, another of the strategies to reach the affection of his faithful diners.

the ranch letter

For delivery they offer, in addition to the popular rancherito chicken, other Creole dishes and interesting fusions as well as classics. Mr. Rancherito has the chaufibrasa, chaufa rice sautéed in the wok with pieces of grilled chicken. The huambrichaufa that is a nod to our jungle. It is chaufa rice with cecina, chorizo ​​and pieces of grilled chicken. Another of his most requested are the tequeños braziers to share with the family: “They are chubby, overflowing with love inside. We have grills and an amazing lomo saltado”Rodriguez points out.

Its creams such as mayonnaise, chili, chimichurri have the homemade flavor of the poultry of neighborhood And their drinks (or fresh waters, as they are called, in reference to El Chavo del 8) range from traditional to original: chicha morada, pineapple, emollient, passion fruit and camu-camu. “These are details that allow us to build customer loyalty. They see us as a family that wants to get ahead like any family that has been affected by the pandemic”emphasizes the owner of Mr. Rancherito.

Mr. Rancherito plans to open a new ‘dark kitchen’ next year, as well as a place to meet face to face with his followers and diners, and continue offering his grilled chickens as before, in the traditional way.

More information

• The delivery arrives well packaged and super hot, so it is recommended to eat it instantly. It can be ordered through the applications Requests Now and Rappi, the website donrancherito.com.pe and through Whatsapp 965335895.
• The potatoes they use are the peruvian
• Instagram: donrancherito; Facebook: @DonRancheroPolleria
• Promotion: Don Rancherito has the Pollo ranchero offer (1 chicken, potatoes, fresh salad and creams) at S/ 48.90 and a Mega chaufa (1 chicken, potatoes, chaufibrasa, salad, sauces and 1 liter of fresh water) at S/ 69.90 .
• Follow them on Twitter