El Pollo Loco Spreads it Wings in Vancouver

By: El Pollo Loco | 1,014 Shares 553 Reads

Marking the Brand's Entry into Washington Established Multi-Unit, Multi-Concept Franchise Developer Brings Flame-Grilled Chicken Leader to the State

May 06, 2008 // Franchising.com // COSTA MESA, CA – Washington has a brand new flame, and Vancouver is the first town to "ignite" it! Following much anticipation around the arrival of El Pollo Loco in Washington, the flame-grilled chicken leader will open the doors to the state's very first El Pollo Loco on Monday, May 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Vancouver. El Pollo Loco, a leading franchise of more than 390 fast casual restaurants, is famous on the West Coast for its signature citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken served with warm tortillas, assortment of delicious sides and fresh salsas, along with a wide variety of fresh, contemporary Mexican-influenced entrees.

The new Vancouver restaurant is located at 1525 SE 164th Avenue (near 164th and 15th). It is approximately 3,100 square feet and offers bright, comfortable seating for 86 guests. The restaurant employs 50 new hires from the local community and is open seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant offers drive-thru service, in addition to dine-in and take-out service. Catering for special events and celebrations is also available.

Washington's first El Pollo Loco restaurant highlights El Pollo Loco's fresh, citrus-marinated chicken as it cooks on the grill and features an open dining area with flexible seating that encourages customers to relax and enjoy the unique El Pollo Loco dining experience. A focal point of the dining room is a self serve salsa bar featuring a variety of salsas that guests can use to customize their menu selections. All of the salsas are prepared fresh every day.

Through a multi-unit agreement with El Pollo Loco, West Pollo Partners, LP plans to open 35 El Pollo Loco restaurants in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. The developer's first El Pollo Loco opened in Pittsburg, California in December of 2007. This year, in addition to opening the Vancouver, Washington location, West Pollo Partners, LP plans to open restaurants in Brentwood, CA and two in Oregon (in the cities of Beaverton and Wood Village). More restaurants in these states will open in the years to come.

To welcome the community, Vancouver Mayor, Royce Pollard, along with other local officials, will be joining the El Pollo Loco team in a special ribbon cutting event on opening day, Monday, May 5th at 11:00 a.m. The public is welcome to attend.

"We are both honored and excited to bring Washington its very first El Pollo Loco," said Rick LeSage, Chief Operations Officer of West Pollo Partners, LP. "Washingtonians who have experienced El Pollo Loco are thrilled to finally be able to enjoy the mouthwatering taste of our citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken here locally. And for those who have never tried El Pollo Loco, it will be love at first bite."

Founded in Guasave, Mexico in 1975, El Pollo Loco, pronounced "L Po-yo Lo-co" and Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken," opened its first U.S. restaurant in 1980 and is famous for the unique preparation of its award-winning "pollo"-- fresh chicken marinated in a special recipe of herbs, spices and citrus juices passed down from the founding family. The marinated 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 dishes. Rounding out the menu are fresh flavorful entrées inspired by the kitchens of Mexico, including signature, grilled burritos, the Original Pollo Bowl®, Pollo Salads, Tacos al Carbon, quesadillas, and more.

About El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco currently operates 397 restaurants (234 franchised locations and 163 company-owned restaurants) located in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and now Washington. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, El Pollo Loco, Inc. is a privately held company owned by Trimaran Pollo Partners, LLC and management. For more information about El Pollo Loco, visit the company's website at www.elpolloloco.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are statements that do not relate solely to historical fact. They include, but are not limited to, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance, achievements or events. They may contain words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "will," "should," "may," "could" or words or phrases of similar meaning. The statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, concerns about food-borne illnesses; negative publicity, whether or not valid; adverse public perception due to the occurrence of avian flu; increases in the cost of chicken; an ultimate adverse ruling in litigation involving El Pollo Loco-Mexico which could result in the imposition of significant monetary damages and loss of rights to the trademarks in Mexico; our dependence upon frequent deliveries of food and other supplies; our sensitivity to events and conditions in the greater Los Angeles area; our reliance in part on our franchisees; our vulnerability to changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions; our ability to compete successfully with other quick service and fast casual restaurants; and other risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements about the Company's past performance are not necessarily indicative of its future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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