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Overview
EEl
Pollo Loco, pronounced “L
Po-yo Lo-co” and Spanish for “The Crazy Chicken,” is
the nation’s leading quick-service restaurant chain
specializing in flame-grilled chicken. Founded in
Guasave, Mexico in 1975, El Pollo Loco’s success
stems from the unique preparation of its award-winning “pollo,” fresh
chicken marinated in a signature recipe of herbs, spices
and citrus juices passed down from the founding family. The
chicken is then flame-grilled, hand cut and served hot
off the grill with warm tortillas, freshly prepared salsas,
and a wide assortment of side accompaniments. Rounding
out the menu are fresh flavorful entrées inspired
by the kitchens of Mexico, including grilled burritos,
The Original Pollo BowlÒ, Pollo Salads, Tacos, Chicken
Tortilla Soup, Quesadillas, and more.
El Pollo Loco opened 30 new restaurants during 2007. As of December 31,
2007, there were 389 El Pollo Loco restaurants: 230 owned by franchisees
and 159 owned and operated by the company. The restaurants are located
in nine U.S. states-- California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois,
Georgia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Fueling the flame for El Pollo
Loco’s continued national expansion, development agreements have been signed
for additional new restaurants in California, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Washington,
Utah, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and New England, New York and New Jersey.
Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, El Pollo Loco, Inc. is a privately held
company owned by Trimaran Capital Partners and company management. Trimaran
is a private asset management firm, headquartered in New York, with assets under
management and committed capital in excess of $3 billion.
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| 1975
|
In
the small town of Guasave on Mexico’s Pacific
Coast, a roadside chicken stand emits an irresistible
lure with the rich aroma of flame-grilled chicken. Called
El Pollo Loco or “The Crazy Chicken,” it
features an authentic family recipe for fresh chicken
that is marinated in special herbs, spices and citrus
juices and then flame-grilled to perfection. The restaurant
quickly becomes a local favorite.
|
| 1975-1979 |
El
Pollo Loco’s popularity spreads rapidly as 85 restaurants
open in 20 cities throughout Northern Mexico.
|
| 1980 |
News
of El Pollo Loco’s famous chicken crosses the border
into the United States. Lines form around the block as
the first American El Pollo Loco opens on Alvarado Street
in Los Angeles.
|
| 1983 |
Denny’s,
Inc. purchases El Pollo Loco’s U.S. operations.
|
| 1987 |
TW
Services, Inc. (later Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc.)
purchases Denny’s and El Pollo Loco.
|
| 1991 |
El
Pollo Loco opens its 200th restaurant.
|
| 1993 |
El
Pollo Loco expands its traditional menu and introduces
six new burritos in October. Lunch sales soar.
|
| 1994 |
El
Pollo Loco begins remodeling its restaurants. Upgrades
include exterior refurbishing and the addition of self-serve
salsa bars.
|
| 1995 |
On
July 31st, El Pollo Loco earns a place in the Guinness
Book of World Records for building the world’s largest
burrito in Anaheim, California. The burrito is 3,112 feet
long, weighs two tons.
|
| 1996 |
In
February, El Pollo Loco launches The Original Pollo Bowl®,
a delicious combination of flame-grilled chicken, Spanish
rice and pinto beans topped with onions, cilantro and
salsa with only 10 grams of fat.
|
| 1998 |
In
October, El Pollo Loco introduces three new salsas-- Avocado,
Spicy Chipotle and Pico de Gallo-- alongside its famous
House Salsa. All are prepared fresh every day.
|
| 1999 |
In
December, American Securities Capital Partners, L.P.,
a private New York-based equity investment firm, along
with company management, acquire El Pollo Loco from Advantica
Restaurant Group, Inc.
|
| 2001
|
In
April, Stephen E. Carley, a proven brand champion with
more than 20 years of restaurant industry experience,
joins El Pollo Loco, Inc. as president and CEO.
Celebrating a third consecutive year of record sales,
El Pollo Loco ends 2001 with systemwide sales of more
than $340 million, contributing to a same store sales
increase of nearly 20% for the three-year period.
|
| 2002 |
In
July, El Pollo Loco’s flame-grilled chicken becomes
available for the first time in a theme park environment
at Universal Studios Hollywood.
|
| 2004 |
In January, the company
announces expansion east of the Mississippi as part
of a nationwide plan to increase its franchised units
by more than 70% over the next five years.
|
2005
|
El Pollo Loco introduces two new
taste sensations-- the Chicken Verde Quesadilla and Chicken
Tortilla Soup.
In
March, El Pollo Loco announces its “Next Generation” prototype,
a new restaurant design
featuring
a contemporary ambience and new cooking process to help drive the company’s
national growth.
In
April, El Pollo Loco celebrates its 25th Anniversary,
introducing its first-ever Loco Value
Menu.
October
marks the opening of El Pollo Loco’s first restaurant
in Chicago.
In
November, Trimaran Capital Partners, a private New York-based asset management
firm, completes
the acquisition of El Pollo Loco.
|
| 2006 |
El Pollo Loco announces the creation of
FROG (Franchise Restaurant Opening Group), a new
cross-functional team of restaurant professionals dedicated
to supporting new franchisees
as the chain continues to open restaurants across the nation.
In
November, El Pollo Loco opens its first East Coast
location at Foxwoods Resort Casino in
Connecticut.
|
| 2007 |
In January, El Pollo
Loco is featured on NBC-TV’s
hit reality show, The Apprentice: Los
Angeles.
Two teams of contestants compete by creating and selling
versions of El Pollo Loco’s
Original Pollo Bowl®.
In
July, El Pollo Loco asks “What Kind of Taco Lover
Are You?” and introduces two new
tacos-- a crunchy chicken taco and a soft chicken taco. The
tacos achieve the highest new product customer trial
of any item introduced by El Pollo Loco in the past
seven years.
Continuing its expansion across the nation, El Pollo
Loco enters the South with a newly updated restaurant
featuring contemporary Mexican design with multiple
textures, geometric shapes, natural wood and Aztec
design elements. The interior highlights El Pollo
Loco’s fresh, citrus-marinated chicken as it
cooks on the grill and features an open dining area
with flexible seating and circular, self serve salsa
bar. Five restaurants open in the greater Atlanta
area in a span of four months. In November, the
company opens its first restaurant in Massachusetts
in the city of Tewksbury.
In
December, QSR Magazine recognizes El Pollo Loco’s
national expansion with the “Best
Regional Breakout” award in its Best of 2007 issue.
El Pollo Loco’s largest franchise partner, WKS
Restaurant Corporation and Roland Spongberg, the company’s
president and CEO, celebrate 20 years with El Pollo
Loco and open their 50th and 51st restaurants in San
Bernadino, CA and Stanton, CA. Spongberg is honored
as El Pollo Loco’s Franchisee of the Year by
the International Franchise Association (IFA) for outstanding
contributions to the growth and development of El Pollo
Loco. |
| Headquarters
Web Site
Executive Management
Media Contact
|
El
Pollo Loco, Inc.
3535 Harbor Blvd., Suite 100
Costa
Mesa, CA 92626
714.599.5000
www.elpolloloco.com
Stephen E. Carley, president and CEO
Joseph N. Stein, Senior vice president of finance and
CFO
Karen Eadon, Senior vice president of marketing and CMO
Brian Berkhausen, Senior Vice President of Development
Steve Sather, Senior Vice President of Operations
Jeanne Scott, Senior vice president of human resources
and training
Jerry Lovejoy, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Julie L. Weeks, Vice President of Communications
Phone: 714.599.5150
Fax: 714.599.5650
e-mail: jweeks@elpolloloco.com |
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