El Pollo Loco Is On Fire As It Spreads To Other States And Sales Sizzle

Southern California’s El Pollo Loco, known for its flame-grilled chicken, is eyeing further nationalist description aft announcing amazingly beardown maturation for past year.

The Costa Mesa-based chain, which expanded to Washington and New Mexico past year, plans to unfastened much locations successful different states wherever customers person been lining up extracurricular immoderate of its caller outlets for its citrus-grilled chickenhearted dishes.

“Similar to past year, nan immense mostly of nan 18 to 20 caller openings successful 2026 are expected to beryllium extracurricular of California,” nan company’s main executive, Liz Williams, said connected an net telephone Thursday.

El Pollo Loco’s shares, which person been moving sideways for months, changeable up astir 17% Friday arsenic its results were good supra Wall Street’s expectations.

The description comes connected nan heels of a rebrand that institution activity has dubbed “Let’s Go Loco,” featuring a caller shop creation and tests of caller paper items for illustration loaded quesadillas and horchata java drinks.

It besides builds connected nan chain’s caller successes extracurricular of California.

Its first Washington shop successful Kent, which opened precocious past year, has had to trim backmost operating hours to negociate agelong lines — an parameter of pent-up request — while its New Mexico franchise partner, pleased pinch results, is searching for sites to unfastened much stores, Williams said connected nan call.

“While California has been our location and holds a rich | history for our brand, we cognize El Pollo Loco is destined for more,” Williams said connected an net telephone past twelvemonth erstwhile announcing caller restaurants successful Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas and Washington.

El Pollo Loco traces its history backmost to nan 1970s successful Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico wherever it was started by footwear salesman Pancho Ochoa utilizing his family’s citrus-marinated chickenhearted recipe.

The concatenation grew to much than 80 restaurants successful Mexico and opened its first U.S. location successful Westlake successful 1980.

In 1983, Denny’s Inc. bought Ochoa’s American restaurants and expanded its network, though mostly sticking to Southern California. The concatenation was later sold to a private equity group.

It has struggled during immoderate economical downturns and weathered title from fast-casual chains for illustration Rubio’s, Chipotle and Panera Bread, The Times reported successful 2011.

But nan tides are turning. Fast-casual options for illustration Sweetgreen and Chipotle have go “skippable splurges” for customers struggling pinch rising costs.

El Pollo Loco whitethorn beryllium conscionable nan correct operation of value and differentiation from accelerated nutrient burgers successful a clip erstwhile consumers are looking to save.

El Pollo Loco, which went nationalist connected Nasdaq successful 2014, reported connected Thursday that its fourth-quarter comparable edifice income roseate much than 2% from a twelvemonth earlier.

Wall Street was impressed by its expertise to trim costs to boost its profits.

The institution said 1 of its secrets was to unfastened caller outlets successful spaces that were already group up to beryllium restaurants.

It saved money while expanding by not having to build retired a spaces from scratch, said Williams, giving nan illustration successful Dallas wherever it took complete a erstwhile Arby’s.

The chain’s thoroughfare corn-and-double-chicken burrito bowls and queso crunch double-chicken burrito bowls, which were introduced successful precocious September, were “instrumental” successful driving fourth-quarter results, nan institution said.

“The fame of these hearty, value-driven, high-quality offerings was truthful affirmative that we made nan strategical determination to support some bowls arsenic imperishable paper items,” Williams said connected nan Thursday net call.

Next connected nan paper to springiness caller consumers an easy-to-grasp preamble to nan company’s return connected chicken: chickenhearted tenders and a chickenhearted sandwich are expected later this year.

El Pollo Loco had 500 locations – nan mostly successful California – arsenic of October 2025.