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El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The company develops, franchises, licenses, and operates quick-service restaurants under the name El Pollo Loco®. It specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken and offers a variety of Mexican-inspired entrees such as burritos, tostadas, salads, and chicken meals.
- Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue - Generates revenue from food and beverages sold at company-operated restaurants.
- Franchise Revenue - Earns royalties and fees from franchised restaurants.
- Franchise Advertising Fee Revenue - Collects advertising fees from franchised restaurants.
| Name | Position | External Roles | Short Bio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Elizabeth Williams ExecutiveBoard | Chief Executive Officer | Board Member at Stitch Fix, Inc. | Elizabeth Williams is the CEO of El Pollo Loco since March 2024, and she previously served as CEO of Foxtrot Holdings from May 2022 to February 2024 while also holding leadership roles at companies such as Hart House LLC and Drybar Holdings. | View Report → |
Maria Hollandsworth ExecutiveBoard | President and Chief Operating Officer | Appointed Director for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Los Angeles Branch | Maria Hollandsworth is the current President and Chief Operating Officer at El Pollo Loco since March 2024. Previously, she served as Interim CEO and President from November 2023 to March 2024. | |
Ira Fils Executive | Chief Financial Officer | Ira Fils has served as Chief Financial Officer at El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. since June 27, 2022, and has extensive experience in leading financial strategies with previous roles at The Habit Restaurants, Mimi's Café, and Rubio's Restaurants. | ||
Deborah Gonzalez Board | Director | Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications at Concentrix Corporation | Deborah Gonzalez has served as a director at El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. since December 2021 , bringing over 30 years of brand marketing experience. She is also the Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Communications at Concentrix Corporation since 2020. | |
Douglas J. Babb Board | Director at El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. | Managing Director for Babb Strategic Services, L.L.P.; Director on the United States Marshals Museum Foundation Board of Directors | Douglas J. Babb has been a director at El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. since 2018, serving as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. He has extensive prior experience including his ongoing role as Managing Director for Babb Strategic Services, L.L.P.. | |
Joe Taylor Board | Independent Director | Director Emeritus of the National Restaurant Association; Trustee Emeritus of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation | Joe Taylor is an independent director on the Board of Directors at LOCO since January 13, 2025 and serves on the Audit Committee. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Brinker International from December 6, 1999 to June 2024. | |
Mark Buller Board | Director | Mark Buller has been a director at LOCO since 2015 and serves on the Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance, and Audit Committees. He previously held executive roles at Superior Cabinets and Norcraft Companies. | ||
Nancy Faginas-Cody Board | Director | Nancy Faginas-Cody has served as a Director at LOCO since December 2021. She brings over 40 years of experience in Information Technology and has held senior leadership roles at the Walt Disney Company. | ||
Samuel N. Borgese Board | Director | President and CEO of Gather Holdings, LLC since 2022; President, CEO, and Director of Shari's Management Corporation and Shari's Restaurant Group since 2017; Managing Partner of Aceneca, LLC since 2011 | Samuel N. Borgese has been a director at LOCO since 2011 and served as Chairman of the Board and Executive Chairman in 2011. He has over 30 years of senior executive experience with roles including President and CEO of Gather Holdings, LLC since 2022, and President, CEO, and Director of Shari's Management Corporation since 2017. | |
William R. Floyd Board | Chairperson of the Board | William R. Floyd has been the Chairperson of the Board at LOCO since April 18, 2023 and has served as a director since 2016. He has extensive leadership experience from roles at companies such as Korn/Ferry International, Busaba Restaurants, and PepsiCo's Restaurant Group. |
- Given the sequential slowdown in Q2 same-store sales compared to Q1, what specific initiatives beyond the brand relaunch are you implementing to counteract the consumer pullback and drive comp growth?
- With labor costs in Q1 significantly higher due to wage inflation and despite planned equipment upgrades, can you explain how sustainable your strategy is to gradually bring labor inflation down to 2%-2.5% over the remaining quarters?
- The transition to PFG was touted as a key lever for margin improvement; can you detail the concrete cost efficiencies anticipated and the timelines for realizing these savings amid rising commodity costs?
- As you roll out multiple new menu items like the Mango Habanero, Fresca wraps, and quesadillas, what specific metrics will you use to evaluate their impact on customer trial and repeat business, and how will you adjust strategy if adoption falls short?
- With aggressive remodeling and new restaurant openings planned, particularly outside California, what risks do you see in executing these capital projects given current operational headwinds, and how do you plan to mitigate potential delays or cost overruns?
| Customer | Relationship | Segment | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
Franchisee #1 | Pays royalties and fees to LOCO as a franchisee | Franchise | 28.4% of total accounts receivable as of Dec 25, 2024 |
Franchisee #2 | Pays royalties and fees to LOCO as a franchisee | Franchise | 11.4% of total accounts receivable as of Dec 27, 2023 |
Notable M&A activity and strategic investments in the past 3 years.
| Company | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
El Pollo Loco (California restaurant) | 2025 | El Pollo Loco completed the acquisition of one restaurant in California from an existing franchisee during the period ended March 26, 2025; no details regarding deal value, structure, strategic rationale, or additional terms were provided. |
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for LOCO.
- For Q1 2025, total revenue reached $119.2M (up from $116.2M YoY) with company-operated revenue at $98.4M and comps up 0.6% (avg. check +4.6%, transactions –3.8%)
- Q1 restaurant contribution margin was 16.0% (down from 17.6%), with food & paper costs falling 120 bps to 25.2% of sales and labor costs rising 120 bps to 32.7% amid 12% wage inflation (FY forecast at 4–5%)
- Income from operations was $9.0M versus $9.7M YoY and net income was $5.5M or $0.19 per diluted share (flat)
- 2025 guidance includes opening 10–11 system-wide restaurants with $30–34M in capex, $48–51M in G&A, and an effective tax rate of 29.0–29.5%
- Expansion plans feature opening 2 new restaurants in Q1 and targeting 10–11 new restaurants (9–10 franchised, up to 1 company-owned), plus 60–70 remodels and the milestone 500th restaurant opening outside California
- Product innovation highlights include a trial of Mango Habanero fire-grilled chicken with a mid-May brand relaunch, along with upcoming Fresca wraps & salads and a $9.99 quesadilla combo
- Repurchased 159,750 shares for approximately $1.8M under its share buyback program, which was terminated on March 31, 2025
- El Pollo Loco received an unsolicited, non-binding indication of interest from Biglari Capital to acquire all outstanding common shares it does not already own.
- The Company’s Board is evaluating the proposal with independent financial and legal advisors and has not set a timetable or made any decisions.
- On April 6, 2025, El Pollo Loco and Biglari Capital entered into a confidentiality agreement containing a customary standstill.
- There is no assurance the indication of interest will result in a formal offer or transaction, and the Company will not comment further unless additional disclosure is necessary.