BNET Industries
Last Fiscal Year Sales:$300.0M
- Private
- US
Dow Jones Description
El 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 phenomenal 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 Bowl, Pollo Salads, Tacos al Carbon, Chicken Tortilla Soup, quesadillas, and more. El Pollo Loco opened 25 new restaurants during 2006. As of December 31, 2006, there are 359 El Pollo Loco restaurants: 151 are owned and operated by the company and 208 are owned by franchisees. The restaurants are located in seven U.S. states-- California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, and Connecticut, with the majority in California. As part of El Pollo Loco?s plan to expand nationwide, development agreements have additionally been signed for new restaurants in California, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois and New England.
President & CEO
Steve CarleyNumber of Employees 3,600
Contact Information
3535 Harbor Boulevard
Suite 100
Costa Mesa, California 92626
714-599-5000
Peer Companies
NAICS Code Full-Service Restaurants: 722110
Recent Events
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El Pollo Loco Sees 'Most Challenging Quarter'
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El Pollo Loco Offers Free Cake with Feast
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El Pollo Loco Adds Buffalo Wings to Menu
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Charo Chicken closes half of its restaurants
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Where’s the Beef? Turns Out It’s in KFC Chicken
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El Pollo Loco isn't buying KFC's new line
News & Analysis
Filter by
el pollo loco and kfc corp. - All News and Analysis
KFC Winning Chicken War Over El Pollo Loco
In the highly publicized chicken wars, KFC seems to be winning the financial battle over El Pollo Loco. But is it really fair to compare the smaller chain to Colonel Sanders' empire? by Ian Ritter
Boston Market Joins Latest Round of KFC and El Pollo Loco Chicken Fight
KFC did its third grilled chicken giveaway on Monday. It was more successful than the first round -- stores didn't run out of supplies like they did in May, when a partnership with Oprah Winfrey wound up generating so much publicity that KFC couldn't keep up and had to issue...
Food Roundup: KFC Chicken Has Too Much Beef, Smithfield Has Too Many Pigs, and More
El Pollo Loco targets KFC over beef -- KFC's new grilled chicken uses a marinade that contains more than 20 ingredients, including beef flavoring, El Pollo Loco wants the world to know. KFC says this is perfectly normal, but El Pollo Loco is using the revelation as yet another opportunity...
El Pollo Loco Skillfully Hijacking KFC Campaigns
El Pollo Loco is a small chain with only 418 stores, the majority in the southwest. It is a spec of a chicken chain compared with KFC and its more than 11,000 locations world-wide. But recently the smaller chain has done an excellent job of exploiting the giant's own ad...
Chicken war hot again as KFC and El Pollo Loco break out competitive new television campaigns
Lest anyone think that the chicken war is over--or at least not as vicious as the burger and coffee wars--new TV campaigns by KFC and El Pollo Loco are a reminder that quick-service chicken chains can sink their claws into a good fight just as well as restaurants in other...
Beak to the future: chicken chains take flight
As historically high poultry prices continue to moderate and profit margins rebound for the chains that rule the quick-service chicken roost, those brands are exploring new strategies aimed at strengthening operations, boosting traffic volumes and fostering expansion. Officials at Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Church's Chicken, Boston Market, Chick-fil-A, El...
Chicken leaders peck out gains despite poultry inflation
Despite some recent bright spots in the general economy, quick-service chicken chains that were hoping to feel the wind beneath their wings once again could be heading into unsettled weather as commodity costs continue to climb. In particular, chicken, which accounts for nearly half of some chains' overall food...
Two chicken chains break campaigns for Hispanic market
Chicken chains El Pollo Loco and KFC broke new IV campaigns geared toward the Hispanic market earlier this month. The campaign for the Irvine, Calif.-based El Pollo Loco depicts the "passionate" reactions people have when they eat the chain's citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken. KFC's TV spots focus on freshness, product variety...
Chicken, Not Burger Wars Have Diners Crowing in Southern California. (Originated from Press-Telegram, Long Beach, Calif.)
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Forget the burger wars, drive-through diners. Go ahead and pig out, all-you-can-eat fast food is here. In the last few months, two big-time chains - El Pollo Loco and Kentucky Fried Chicken - chose the no-nonsense approach in the competition for the fast-food...
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Decision Makers
| Name (plus bio) | Position |
|---|---|
| Steve Carley | President & CEO |
| Joe Stein | CFO & Vice President, Finance |
| Karen Eadon | Chief Marketing Officer & Vice President, Marketing |
| Brian Berkhausen | Vice President, Development |
| Jeanne Scott | Vice President, HR & Training |
| Pamela R. Milner | General Counsel & Vice President |
| Steven J. Sather | Vice President, Operations |
| Susan Panella | Vice President |
| David Wetzel | Director, Operations |
| Helen Trent | Director, Sales |
| John Phillips | Director, Franchise Restaurant Operations |
| Julie L. Weeks | Director, Communications |
| Marcelino Contreras | Co-Director-Franchise Sales & Development |
| Mark Hardison | Director, Retail Marketing |
| Mark Smith | Director, Purchasing |
| Michael Wildman | Director, Franchise Operations |
| Scott Gillie | Co-Director-Franchise Sales & Development |
| Steve Lash | Director, Supply Chain Management |
| Tom Giannetti | Director, IT |
| Maria Gonzalez | Manager |
| Robert Gossman | Controller |
| Brendon Kensel | |
| Andrew R. Heyer | Director |
| Glenn B. Kaufman | Director |
| Steven A Flyer | Director |
Board of Directors
| Name (plus bio) | Position |
|---|---|
| Douglas K. Ammerman | Chairman of the Audit Committee |
| David L Benyaminy | Board of Directors |
| Dean C. Kehler | Board of Directors |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | President & CEO | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | CFO & Vice President, Finance | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Chief Marketing Officer & Vice President, Marketing | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Vice President, Development | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Vice President, HR & Training | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | General Counsel & Vice President | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Vice President, Operations | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Vice President | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Operations | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Sales | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Franchise Restaurant Operations | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Communications | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Co-Director-Franchise Sales & Development | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Retail Marketing | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Purchasing | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Franchise Operations | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Co-Director-Franchise Sales & Development | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, Supply Chain Management | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Director, IT | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Manager | Current |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Controller | Current |
Brendon Kensel is an experienced entrepreneur and business management professional who has over 17 years of experience in diverse technology and marketing organizations ranging from successful start-ups to large publicly held and privately held companies. In addition to being the founder and a Managing Partner of Kensel Ventures LLC, he is also the founder and Chairman of MediaShift, a next generation digital marketing and technology firm. Mr. Kensel is a member of several advisory boards including DigitalPost Interactive, a digital media-sharing company, and Want Media, a Web 2.0 social media company. Mr. Kensel formerly was EVP and division President at eSynergies (OTCBB: "ESYG"), an e-business solutions company. While there he led several acquisitions, including that of e2 Communications and Worldwide Xceed Group (NASDAQ: "XCED"). Previously, Mr. Kensel was the founder and CEO of Salesmation, a leading rich media online advertising company that was acquired by eSynergies. Prior experience also includes marketing and management posts at El Pollo Loco, a national quick-service restaurant chain; Alcone Marketing Group, an Omnicom Group (NYSE: "OMC") agency; and the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club, the AAA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Mr. Kensel is a volunteer mentor to full-time MBA students enrolled in Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business and Management Mentorship Program. He is also the Chair of the Pepperdine Graziadio Alumni Network Council of Orange County, a group of business leaders committed to building mutually beneficial, strategic partnerships between the university and the business community. Mr. Kensel received a B.S. from Central Washington University, a M.B.A. from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University and studied global enterprise management at Kellogg College, University of Oxford.
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kensel Ventures LLC | Founder | Current |
| Mediashift | Founder | Current |
| Kensel Ventures LLC | Managing Partner | Current |
| Kensel & Co. | Managing Partner | Current |
| El Pollo Loco | Current | |
| Mediashift | Chairman | Current |
| McFarland Strategy Partners | Member | Current |
| Salesmation, Inc. | CEO | Former |
| Salesmation, Inc. | President | Former |
| Salesmation, Inc. | Founder | Former |
| Alcone Marketing Group | Former | |
| Pepperdine University | M.B.A. | Former |
| Washington University | B.S. | Former |
| University of Oxford | Global Enterprise Management | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | Chairman of the Audit Committee | Current |
| William Lyon Homes | Director | Current |
| Fidelity National Financial, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| CKE Restaurants Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| Quicksilver, Inc | Board of Directors | Current |
| American Institute of Certified Public Accountants | Member | Current |
| The Pacific Club | President | Former |
| The Pacific Club | Director | Former |
| El Pollo Loco | Director | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mistral Equity Partners LLC | Chief Executive Officer | Current |
| Mistral Equity Partners LLC | Managing Director | Current |
| University of Pennsylvania | Trustee | Current |
| Las Vegas Sands Corp. | Director | Current |
| The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| El Pollo Loco | Director | Current |
| Niagara LaSalle Corporation | Director | Current |
| Niagara Corporation | Board of Directors | Current |
| Brite Media Group | Board of Directors | Current |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Board Member | Current |
| Village Voice Media, Inc. | Director | Current |
| Fairfield Manufacturing Company, Inc. | Director | Current |
| The Argosy Group LP | Managing Director | Former |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Founder | Former |
| Mistral Equity Partners LLC | Founder | Former |
| The Argosy Group LP | Founder | Former |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Managing Partner | Former |
| Mistral Equity Partners LLC | Managing Partner | Former |
| American Express Company | Team Member | Former |
| The Argosy Group LP | Advisor | Former |
| CIBC World Markets Inc. | Co-Head | Former |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | vice chairman | Former |
| CIBC World Markets Inc. | Vice Chairman | Former |
| Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania | M.B.A. | Former |
| Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania | B.S. In Economics | Former |
| University of Pennsylvania | Member | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Executive Director | Current |
| Columbus Nova | Principal | Current |
| Urban Brands, Inc. | Board of Directors | Former |
| El Pollo Loco | Board of Directors | Current |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Director | Current |
| CIBC World Markets Inc. | Director in the Leveraged Finance Group | Former |
| Chase Manhattan | Credit Analyst | Former |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Former | |
| Hofstra University | B.A. and M.B.A. from the Frank G. Zarb School | Former |
Mr. Kehler is a Managing Partner of Trimaran Capital Partners, L.L.C., manager of Trimaran Fund II, a $1 billion private equity fund. In addition, he is a member of the Investment Committee of Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C., the investment advisor to several Trimaran CLO funds. Prior to co-founding Trimaran Capital Partners, Mr. Kehler was a vice chairman of CIBC World Markets Corp., and co-head of the CIBC Argosy Merchant Banking Funds (Fund I). Prior to joining CIBC World Markets Corp. in 1995, Mr. Kehler was a founder and Managing Director of The Argosy Group L.P. Before Argosy, Mr. Kehler was a Managing Director at Drexel Burnham Lambert Incorporated and also worked at Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb Incorporated. Mr. Kehler currently serves on the Board of Directors of Inviva, Inc., Charlie Brown's Acquisition Corp., PrimeCo Wireless Communications LLC, Urban Brands, Inc., Fortunoff and El Pollo Loco, Inc. Mr. Kehler also serves as Treasurer, Chair of the Finance Committee and a director of CARE USA , one of the world's largest private humanitarian organizations, and is a member of the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Mr. Kehler received his B.S. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania .
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Co-Founder | Current |
| Care Sees Limited | Managing Partner, Trimaran Capital Partners | Current |
| The Board, Inc. | Treasurer | Current |
| Care Action Network | Board of Directors | Current |
| Urban Brands, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| Inviva, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| Fortunoff Fine Jewelry & Silverware, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| El Pollo Loco | Board of Directors | Current |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Board Member | Current |
| University of Pennsylvania | Member | Current |
| Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania | Member | Current |
| The Argosy Group LP | Managing Director | Former |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Managing Director | Former |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Managing Director | Former |
| The Argosy Group LP | Founder | Former |
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Managing Partner and Investment Committee Member | Former |
| Lehman Brothers, Kuhn, Loeb Inc. | Team Member | Former |
| The Argosy Group LP | Director | Former |
| Lehman Brothers, Kuhn, Loeb Inc. | Director | Former |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | vice chairman | Former |
| TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc. | Director | Former |
| CIBC World Markets Inc. | Vice Chairman | Former |
| Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania | B.S. | Former |
| The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania | B.S. | Former |
Glenn B. Kaufman has been a Director of Holdings since May 2006 and of EPL since December 1999. Mr. Kaufman was a Vice President of EPL from December 1999 to May 2004. He is a Managing Director of American Securities Capital Partners, L.P., having joined that company in October 1997. Mr. Kaufman has also been a Managing Director of American Securities Capital Partners, LLC since September 2000. From October 1993 to October 1997, Mr. Kaufman served as a corporate attorney with the firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York, New York, where he focused on private equity and related transactions. Previously, he worked in the small business consulting group of Price Waterhouse. He is Chairman of the Board of Press, Ganey Associates, Inc. and a director of Potbelly Sandwich Works.
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| American Securities Capital Partners LLC | Managing Director | Current |
| The Press | Chairman of the Board | Current |
| El Pollo Loco | Director | Current |
| Potbelly Sandwich Works | Director | Current |
| American Securities Capital Partners LLC | Board of Directors | Current |
| Press Ganey Associates, Inc. | Director | Current |
| Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP | focused on private equity and related transactions | Former |
| Price Waterhouse & Co. | small business consulting group | Former |
| El Pollo Loco | Director | Former |
| Harvard Law School | Jd | Former |
| Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania | BS degree | Former |
| Organization | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trimaran Capital Partners, LLC | Managing Director | Current |
| Columbus Nova | Partner | Current |
| El Pollo Loco | Director | Current |
| Fortunoff Fine Jewelry & Silverware, Inc. | Board of Directors | Current |
| CIBC World Markets Inc. | Executive Director in the Leveraged Finance Group | Former |
| Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP | Lawyer | Former |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Former | |
| Cornell University Law School | J.D. | Former |
| Columbia College | B.A. | Former |
| Columbia University | B.A. | Former |
Executive News
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El Pollo Loco comps down nearly 7%
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