Redefining Pollo Tropical with Chef Jacqueline Kleis

Jacqueline Kleis has been reinventing Latin Food for over 25 years. As
Research and Development Manager for Pollo Tropical, she creates and refines
the menu items served at the 120 Pollo Tropical restaurants.

“I began my adventure in the kitchen when I was just 10 years old, but
didn’t think it was what I wanted to be when I grew up,” said Kleis.

Originally a math major in college, Kleis grew more and more interested in
the French courses she started taking than in Algebra. She decided to participate in an exchange
program to study in France. It was there that she really began to figure out
where she wanted to be in life. Soon she knew where that was: the kitchen.

“I cooked one night (for a friend), and she loved it,” Kleis said. “She
suggested that I intern with a chef, and I figured that since I was in France,
it was the perfect place to give it a try.”

That summer of 1983, Kleis got an internship with a well-known chef, Georges
Blanc at his restaurant, La Mére Blanc
and followed her mentor to Geneva, Switzerland to work at the five-star Hotel Beau Rivage. She was one of two
women among 25 chefs. She worked alongside Blanc for a year, also traveling to
Puerto Rico and the South of France during the winters and summers to act as a
private chef for the owners of Chanel. 

“Looking back, I was very fortunate Georges was my mentor,” said Kleis. “He
grew up with his mother in the kitchen and accepted women in his.”

After graduating and spending time in some prestigious kitchen in France, she
moved back home to Puerto Rico and created one of the most prestigious
off-premise catering companies on the island.

“We catered for the Puerto Rican tourism company, Major League Baseball,
several of the governors’ inauguration balls and the National Governor’s
Association Convention,” she said. “ I even cooked in school cafeterias. “

Next, how Kleis is revamping Pollo Tropical… [pagebreak]

Kleis has a passion for children that is contagious. Having four daughters of her own makes her
even more determined to get involved.

“Mothers concerned with health started asking me different questions and I
started to get active within the school,” Kleis said. “Many schools are focused on serving cheap. And cheap is difficult to
serve healthy, especially in Puerto Rico where people don’t have the extra
income for healthy meals. Kids have just a dollar or two for their snack/lunch
that is just 30 minutes. Michelle Obama has made a huge contribution with
‘Let’s Move’ and I admire that incredibly.”

Her focus on health is something that Pollo Tropical embraces. “The brand strategy is focused on chicken on
the grill and grilled items. Healthy food,” Kleis said. Once a Florida-based restaurant
chain, Pollo Tropical is expanding across the country and aims to deliver a
one-of-a-kind dining experience highlighting fresh and healthy flavors to
customers.

“It’s definitely a challenge for us,” said Kleis. “Latin cuisine is so high
in carbohydrates. Yuca, potatoes, plantains. They are all very high in
carbohydrates. We don’t grow broccoli and zucchini in the Caribbean. Basically,
it is a diet of a culture that is based on the land. So, I try to find ways to
incorporate other land-based ingredients like tropical fruits and the lettuce,
peppers, tomatoes and garlic that are grown on the islands.” 

Dishes that
incorporate fruit salsas, like the wildly popular Tangy Pineapple Chicken Wrap
served with mango poppy seed vinaigrette and, unique fruit-based sauces including
guava BBQ and pineapple rum, are just a few of the ways Kleis is changing
things up.

She is excited to be able to offer a more diverse menu now that customers
are more eager to embrace new ideas and ingredients. “It can be a challenge
because I have to always consider the marketing strategy for the future,” Kleis said. “We are
a value brand. So I have to think of pricing, not just something Latin, healthy, and delicious. I look at trends and consumer awareness for ideas. As we enter
new markets, I can adapt dishes to
appeal to that market. At the end of the day, it’s about creating a product
that will enhance the menu and that people like.”

With all these points running through her mind when she creates a dish,
there is always one thought that intertwines them all. “Never forget the
kitchen table because that is the center of the family,” Kleis said.

Want to revamp your menu? Pollo Tropical and Kleis
have come up with tips for staying healthy. Check them out here or try  your hand with the recipe below. 

Pollo Tropical Marinated Boneless Chicken
Breasts with Mojo Onions