El Pollo Loco

Founded: 1975 Franchising since: 1980
In 1975, Juan Ochoa opened a roadside chicken stand in Guasace, Mexico, he called El Pollo Loco. Ochoa served chicken the same way his mother did, hand-marinating using an old family recipe and flame-broiling. The stand quickly grew in popularity, and over the next four years, Ochoa's family opened 85 restaurants in Northern Mexico. The chain moved into the United States in 1980 with the first restaurant opening in Los Angeles.

Over the years, El Pollo Loco has added tacos, burritos and salads to its menu, all featuring the Ochoa family's chicken. In 1995, the chain entered into a joint venture with Foster's Freeze to offer soft-serve treats at El Pollo Loco restaurants.

3535 Harbor Blvd., #100 Costa Mesa, California 92626

Phone: (714)599-5000

Franchisor is a privately-held company with 100 employee(s); 15 employee(s) in franchise department.

Franchise Growth

Year	U.S. Franchises	Canadian Franchises	Foreign Franchises	Company Owned
2009	250	0	0	169
2008	245	0	0	165
2007	212	0	0	159
2006	194	0	0	145
2005	187	0	0	139

Where Seeking Franchisees
In the U.S. Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas

Exclusive territories available.
Territory size: Varies by market

Total investment: $416.9K-739.9K Franchise fee: $40K

Ongoing royalty fee: 4 % Term of agreement: 20 years, renewable

Type of Financing Available

	In-House	Third Party
Franchise Fee	No	No
Startup Costs	No	No
Equipment	No	No
Inventory	No	No
Accounts Receivable	No	No
Payroll	No	No

Qualifications
Net worth requirement: $1M
Cash liquidity requirement: $400K
Business Experience:

• Industry experience
• General business experience
• Marketing skills
• Food-service franchise background

Operations

• 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit
• Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 25
• Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Training

• Available at headquarters: 6 weeks
• At franchisee's location: 2 weeks
• At certified training stores : 6 weeks

Ongoing Support

• Meetings
• Toll-free phone line
• Grand opening
• Internet
• Security/safety procedures
• Field operations/evaluations
• Purchasing cooperatives

Marketing Support

• Ad slicks
• Regional advertising

Franchise 500® rank:
#150 (2009); #172 (2008); #400 (2006);

Fastest-Growing Franchises:
#95 (2009);