El Pollo Loco (Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken") is the name of three independent restaurant chains that specialize in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The Mexican and American companies were founded by Juan Francisco Ochoa[1] while the Filipino company began as a franchisee of the American company in 1991 that later broke free of its contract and was allowed to retain its trademarks within the Philippines in 2016.[2]
Ochoa established the first El Pollo Loco restaurant in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico in 1974.[3][4][5] He then expanded his chain into the United States in 1980.[6][7] He later sold his U.S. restaurants in 1983 while keeping the ones in Mexico.[8] The two North American companies have since occupied non-overlapping global territories and have offered different fare.
- El Pollo Loco (Mexico) is the chain still owned by Ochoa's family and operates over 50 (as of 2017[update]) locations within Mexico.[9]
- El Pollo Loco (United States) operates about 500 (as of 2019[update]) company-owned and franchised restaurants primarily in the Southwestern United States.[10] Since 2014, the U.S.-based company has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker LOCO.[11]
- El Pollo Loco (Philippines) is a subsidiary of Manila-based The Bistro Group that operated 10 (as of 2023[update]) company-owned restaurants within the Manila metropolitan area.[12]
- ^ "Our Story". Palenque Grill. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Agustin, Victor C. (July 8, 2016). "Cocktales: El Pollo Loco breaks away from US parent over trademark issue". InterAksyon. Archived from the original on 2016-09-17.
- ^ Cantu, Gustavo (March 9, 2015). "Don Pollo Loco". El Universal (Mexico City) (in Spanish).
- ^ Manjarrez, Azucena (November 9, 2006). "Sigo soñando: Juan Francisco Ochoa: En 1974, y después de varios fracasos como vendedor, abre en Guasave el primer Pollo Loco, convertido hoy en una de las cadenas más prominentes en México y EU" [I keep dreaming: Juan Francisco Ochoa: In 1974, and after several failures as a seller, opens in Guasave the first Pollo Loco, now become one of the most prominent chains in Mexico and the US.]. Editorial Noroeste (in Spanish).
- ^ Festejo, Guasave (January 6, 2015). "Pollo Loco celebra 40 años de vuelo: Francisco Ochoa le dice a quienes tienen la idea de emprender un negocio que no se rindan y se arriesguen a tener muchos tropiezos" [Pollo Loco celebrates 40 years of flight: Francisco Ochoa tells those who have the idea of starting a business that would not stop and take the risk to have many setbacks.]. El Debate (Mexico) (in Spanish).
- ^ "The Legacy of El Pollo Loco". El Pollo Loco. Archived from the original on 2010-11-25.
- ^ "Saboreando el éxito" [Savouring success]. Revista Clase (in Spanish). June 24, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
- ^ "The Denny's Inc. restaurant chain has reached an agreement..." United Press International. September 19, 1983.
- ^ "El Pollo Loco - Sucursales". elpolloloco.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ "Franchising Overview". El Pollo Loco Inc. January 12, 2019.
- ^ Luna, Nancy (July 25, 2014). "Wall Street clamors for a taste of chicken: El Pollo Loco stock surges 60 percent on first day of trading". Orange County Register.
- ^ Madarang, Catalina Ricci S. (June 6, 2023). "New eats alert! El Pollo Loco now offers unlimited Spanish rice". InterAksyon.