Mia Patel
El Pollo Loco is a US-based restaurant chain specialising in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The chain has expanded significantly since its first US opening in Los Angeles, California, in 1980, and by 1990, it had opened its 200th restaurant. As of January 2019, El Pollo Loco operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States. The company has also expanded internationally, with locations in East Asia and the Philippines. As of June 2023, there are ten El Pollo Loco restaurants in the Manila metropolitan area.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of El Pollo Loco locations in the Southwestern US (as of January 2019) | 500 |
| First US restaurant location and date | Los Angeles, California; December 8, 1980 |
| Second US restaurant location and date | Santa Ana; Fall 1981 |
| Number of US restaurants in 1983 | 19 |
| Number of Southern California locations in 1985 | 29 |
| Number of Houston, Texas locations in 1985 | 6 |
| Number of locations in Japan in 1987 | 484 planned |
| Number of Japanese locations that opened | 1 |
| Year all Japanese locations closed | 1994 |
| Number of El Pollo Loco locations in the Philippines (as of June 2023) | 10 |
| Number of El Pollo Loco locations in the Philippines (as of January 2025) | 11 |
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What You'll Learn
El Pollo Loco's expansion in the US
El Pollo Loco, a Mexican restaurant chain specializing in grilled chicken, has had a significant presence and expansion in the United States. The chain is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and has a strong foothold in the Southwestern region of the country. As of January 2019, El Pollo Loco operated about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants across the Southwestern US.
The chain's expansion in the US began in 1980 when Ochoa opened the first El Pollo Loco restaurant in Los Angeles, California. The initial menu featured a simple choice of a half or whole chicken with tortillas and salsa. The concept proved successful, and a second location was opened in Santa Ana, California, in 1981. By 1983, the chain had expanded to 19 restaurants in Southern California, and that year, Denny's acquired the American locations, while the Ochoa family continued to operate the restaurants in Mexico.
Under Denny's management, El Pollo Loco's expansion accelerated. Within 18 months of the acquisition, the number of locations in Southern California increased to 29, and the chain also expanded into Houston, Texas, primarily through franchise operations. By 1990, El Pollo Loco reached a significant milestone, opening its 200th restaurant in Yorba Linda, California. During the early 1990s, the company experimented with various concepts to increase its market share in the competitive Southern California fast-food industry. They tested different offerings such as side-dish bars, salsa bars, barbecue, French fries, and ice cream, ultimately settling on chain-wide salsa bars.
El Pollo Loco has also explored international expansion. In the late 1980s and 1990s, they sold franchise licenses to operators in East Asian countries like Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. However, the expansion in Japan faced challenges, and all Japanese locations closed by 1994. The chain has had more lasting success in the Philippines, with ten locations in the Manila metropolitan area as of June 2023, offering a modified menu to cater to local tastes.
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International presence
El Pollo Loco is a US-based restaurant chain specialising in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and as of January 2019, it operated about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants across the Southwestern United States. The first US restaurant was opened in Los Angeles, California, in 1980, and by 1983 there were 19 locations across Southern California and Houston, Texas.
The company has had a significant international presence in the past, particularly in East Asia. In 1987, TW Services made an agreement with Mitsui & Co. to open 484 restaurants across Japan, with the first opening in Tokyo in 1988. However, all Japanese locations had closed by 1994. El Pollo Loco also had a presence in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines by 1997, although the franchise licenses for Malaysia and Singapore have since lapsed. The brand continues to have a presence in the Philippines, with ten locations in the Manila metropolitan area as of June 2023.
The menu in the Philippines has been adapted to suit local tastes, offering items such as barbecue pork ribs, macaroni salad, dessert crepes, and beer, in addition to the standard El Pollo Loco offerings. The brand has also been innovative in its marketing, creating the Fire-Grilled Fundraisers initiative to allow nonprofit organisations to raise funds while dining at the restaurant.
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The first El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is a Mexican restaurant concept serving authentic fire-grilled chicken and Mexican food. The first El Pollo Loco was started by Juan Francisco Ochoa in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1975. By 1979, the chain had expanded throughout northern Mexico. On December 8, 1980, Ochoa opened his first US restaurant in Los Angeles, California, marking the brand's entry into the American market.
The first American El Pollo Loco was a modest 1,500 square feet in size, but it quickly gained popularity, grossing over $125,000 per month during its first year of operation. The initial menu was simple yet enticing, offering customers a choice of a half or whole chicken, served with warm tortillas and salsa. This combination of juicy, fire-grilled chicken and fresh Mexican cuisine proved to be a winning formula for the restaurant.
The success of the first El Pollo Loco in the US fueled the chain's expansion. In 1987, the company, then owned by TW Services, embarked on its first expansion attempt outside its core territories of California and the Southwest. They opened restaurants in the Orlando, Florida area, starting in Winter Park, and eventually establishing five locations. However, these locations were short-lived, and all five were closed down by 1991.
Despite the setback in Florida, El Pollo Loco continued to grow. In 1987, TW Services expanded the brand internationally by partnering with Mitsui & Co. to open restaurants in Japan. The first Japanese location opened in Tokyo in 1988, marking the beginning of El Pollo Loco's presence in East Asia. By 1994, however, all the Japanese locations had closed. The brand found more long-lasting success in other parts of East Asia, with franchises in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines by 1997.
Today, El Pollo Loco has expanded significantly from its humble beginnings. As of 2019, the company operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants, primarily in the Southwestern United States. The brand has also continued to expand internationally, with a strong presence in the Philippines, where 10 company-owned restaurants were operating as of 2023.
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El Pollo Loco's headquarters
El Pollo Loco is a restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken, with its headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. The company operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants across the Southwestern United States, with services including dine-in, take-out, and drive-through options. The chain's menu features Mexican chicken entrees like citrus-marinated and fire-grilled chicken, as well as tacos, burritos, tostada salads, chicken bowls, snacks, salsas, sides, and quesadillas.
The story of El Pollo Loco began in 1980 when Ochoa opened the first US restaurant in Los Angeles, California. The initial menu was simple, offering a choice of half or whole chicken with warm tortillas and salsa. The success of this first location, grossing over $125,000 per month in its first year, led to the opening of a second restaurant in Santa Ana in 1981. By 1983, the chain had expanded to 19 locations in Southern California, and the Ochoa family continued to operate restaurants in Mexico under the name El Pollo Loco, S.A. de C.V.
The American El Pollo Loco, Inc. rapidly expanded its footprint in Southern California, increasing the number of locations from 19 to 29 within 18 months of new ownership. They also ventured into new markets, adding 6 locations in Houston, Texas, with most of these new sites being franchise operations. This expansion continued into the early 1990s, with the company experimenting with various concepts to capture a larger share of the competitive Southern Californian fast-food market. During this period, the company tested different offerings at select locations, including side-dish bars, salsa bars, barbecue, French fries, and ice cream. The salsa bars proved to be the most popular, and they were rolled out across the chain in 1995.
El Pollo Loco also ventured into international markets, selling franchise licenses to operators in East Asia. While their expansion into Japan in the late 1980s, with 484 planned restaurants, didn't work out and all locations closed by 1994, they found more long-lasting success in other Asian countries. By 1997, EPL, Inc. had franchises in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, with the first Philippine location opening in 1991. As of June 2023, El Pollo Loco Philippines, operated by The Bistro Group, has 10 locations in the Manila metropolitan area, offering a unique menu tailored to Filipino tastes.
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The number of locations
El Pollo Loco is a restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken, headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The chain has a significant presence in the Southwestern United States, with a mix of company-owned and franchised restaurants. As of January 2019, El Pollo Loco operated about 500 restaurants, a significant increase from the 19 locations in Southern California and Texas when Denny's acquired the chain in 1983.
The growth of El Pollo Loco has been marked by strategic expansions and experiments with different concepts. By May 1990, the chain celebrated the opening of its 200th restaurant in Yorba Linda, California. During the early 1990s, the company tested various ideas to enhance its market share in Southern California, including side-dish bars, salsa bars, and barbecue options. Only the salsa bars remained a permanent fixture across the chain.
El Pollo Loco has also ventured into international markets, with varying levels of success. In 1987, the company sold franchise licenses to operators in East Asia, leading to the opening of 484 restaurants in Japan by 1994, all of which eventually closed. They had a presence in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines by 1997, although the franchises in Malaysia and Singapore have since lapsed. As of June 2023, El Pollo Loco Philippines, a subsidiary of The Bistro Group, operates ten locations in the Manila metropolitan area, offering a unique menu tailored to Filipino tastes.
The chain has continued to expand and solidify its presence in the United States, competing with brands like KFC and Chick-fil-A. El Pollo Loco has about 500 locations as of January 2019, indicating a stable and expanding business serving their famous grilled chicken and Mexican specialties.
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Frequently asked questions
El Pollo Loco operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States, as of January 2019.
El Pollo Loco Philippines has 10 locations within the Manila metropolitan area, as of June 2023.
El Pollo Loco is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.
The first El Pollo Loco restaurant in the United States was opened in Los Angeles, California, in 1980.
The 200th El Pollo Loco restaurant was opened in Yorba Linda, California, in May 1990.
