El Pollo Loco Inks Agreements for Eight Stores in Denver

The franchise partners are experienced El Pollo Loco operators:

• LMU Investments, LLC, whose partners already own 18 El Pollo Loco restaurants throughout California and Utah, will open four restaurants exclusively on the east side of Denver. Their first restaurant will be located in Peoria, Colorado and is expected to open in 2022.

• Pikes Pollo Inc. will open their four restaurants in West Denver. The partners currently own four restaurants in Southern California.

“These agreements will further expand our footprint in key target markets,” said El Pollo Loco Chief Development Officer Brian Carmichall "Our growth would not be possible without franchisees like LMU Investments and Pikes Pollo, who continue to demonstrate their high level of confidence in El Pollo Loco by bringing our brand and products to life each and every day.”

Carmichall added, “This exciting franchise development is a reflection of our Acceleration Agenda. The success of our better-for-you menu combined with our new L.A. Mex restaurant design has continued to attract experienced multi-unit operators interested in our growing brand.”

The new design provides a flexible format to meet the needs of the individual site or neighborhood. One version has no indoor dining room. Instead, it caters largely to off-premise sales with a take-out window, a dual drive-thru, parking for curbside pick-up, and patio seating. The second prototype will have a smaller-than-typical dining room that opens up to an expansive patio. This format store will also feature a dual drive-thru and curbside pick-up parking spaces.

Both prototypes share an enhanced digitized experience – including “Pollo To Go” cubbies for mobile to-go and delivery orders, digital menu boards and GPS-enabled curbside pick-up, all integrated with the company’s dynamic and versatile mobile app.

While the look may be different, the vast and diverse menu will remain the same.

At El Pollo Loco restaurants, the chicken is always fresh, never frozen, marinated in a proprietary recipe of citrus, garlic and spice, fire-grilled over an open flame and hand-cut to order. The freshly grilled chicken serves as the base for an authentic selection of dishes, including family chicken meals, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls and salads. The Pollo Fit section of the menu also offers low-calorie, vegan and even keto-certified options for followers of the keto diet.