El Pollo Loco
Serves citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken through company-run and franchised quick-service restaurants.
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Profile
Sells citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken, bowls, burritos, tostadas, tacos, salads, soup, sides, catering, and digital-order meals through company-operated and franchised restaurants. The footprint is heavily California-centered, with franchisee execution, chicken and labor costs, and Southern California conditions shaping the model.
Builds a quick-service restaurant system around citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken served in Mexican and Los Angeles-inspired meals, including burritos, quesadillas, tostada salads, tortilla soup, tacos, bowls, sides, catering, and digital orders. Revenue comes from company-operated restaurants, franchise royalties, and franchise advertising fees.
Operates mainly in the United States with a heavily California-centered footprint and a small licensed presence in the Philippines. Management's current plan focuses on brand refresh, hospitality, digital engagement, unit economics, and renewed unit growth.
Execution depends on consistent restaurant operations across owned and franchised units, menu simplification, speed, order accuracy, and technology upgrades such as kiosks and kitchen display systems. Southern California conditions, chicken and labor costs, and franchisee execution shape the business.
Company facts
Categories
Key statistics
Year to date +48.3% · Average volume (30d) 249.0K
Analysts
Ratings
Target range
Latest analyst notes
| Date | Firm | Action | Prior rating | Rating | Prior target | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | DA Davidson | Reiterate | Neutral | $15 | $17 | |
| May 11, 2026 | DA Davidson | Reiterate | Neutral | $11 | $15 | |
| Mar 13, 2026 | D.A. Davidson | Target | $11 | |||
| Mar 13, 2026 | Benchmark | Upgrade | Hold | Buy | ||
| Dec 15, 2025 | Jefferies | Reiterate | Buy | $13.50 |
Earnings
EPS
Revenue
History
| Report date | EPS est | EPS | Surprise | Revenue est | Revenue | Surprise | Next session |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2026Q2 FY26 | $0.28 | $0.30 | +7.8% | $130.3M | $129.6M | −0.6% | −7.39% |
| May 7, 2026Q1 FY26 | $0.22 | $0.28 | +27.3% | $122.0M | $126.2M | +3.4% | +3.63% |
| Mar 12, 2026Q4 FY25 | $0.21 | $0.25 | +19.0% | $122.6M | $123.5M | +0.8% | +16.91% |
| Oct 30, 2025Q3 FY25 | $0.23 | $0.27 | +17.4% | $122.2M | $121.5M | −0.5% | +12.80% |
Financial highlights
| 12 quarters | Q1 FY25 | Q2 FY25 | Q3 FY25 | Q4 FY25 | Q1 FY26 | Q2 FY26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $119.2M | $125.8M | $121.5M | $123.5M | $126.2M | $129.6M | |
| Gross profit | $24.1M | $24.9M | $35.3M | $27.7M | $36.3M | $42.5M | |
| Operating income | $9.0M | $12.1M | $11.5M | $10.4M | $12.4M | $18.7M | |
| Net income | $5.5M | $7.1M | $7.4M | $6.5M | $8.2M | $12.8M | |
| Diluted EPS | $0.19 | $0.24 | $0.25 | $0.22 | $0.27 | $0.43 | |
| Gross margin | 20.3% | 19.8% | 29.0% | 22.5% | 28.8% | 32.8% | |
| Operating margin | 7.5% | 9.6% | 9.4% | 8.5% | 9.8% | 14.4% |
Fiscal years (4-quarter sums)FY21 $454.4M · FY22 $470.0M · FY23 $468.7M · FY24 $473.0M · FY25 $490.0M
Revenue by product · Q2 FY26
Balance sheet, Jul 1, 2026Cash & short-term investments $13.3M · Total debt $219.4M · Total assets $618.8M · Shareholders' equity $317.0M
Dividends
History
| Ex-date | Record | Paid | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2022 | Oct 24 | Nov 9 | $1.50 | special dividend |
Ownership
Shares outstanding 30.46M · Float 25.55M · 83.9% free float
Top shareholders13F · 13D/G · Form 4
| Holder | Shares | % outstanding | Form | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biglari Capital Corp. | 3.78M | 12.40% | 13F | Aug 14, 2026 |
| BlackRock, Inc. | 2.46M | 8.08% | 13F | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors LP | 2.05M | 6.73% | 13F | Aug 11, 2026 |
| LSV Asset Management | 1.47M | 4.83% | 13F | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Goldman Sachs Group Inc | 1.26M | 4.12% | 13F | Aug 14, 2026 |
Insider tradesForm 4
| Date | Insider | Role | Shares | Avg price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −550 | $17.06 |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −40,000 | $16.90 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −10,000 | $16.73 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −6,611 | $16.71 |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −273 | $16.70 |
Peers
- Yum! Brands
KFC and Taco Bell span chicken and Mexican-inspired QSR.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
Mexican fast-casual scale in burritos, bowls, tacos, and digital.
- Restaurant Brands International
Popeyes and Burger King pressure chicken and drive-thru QSR occasions.
- Jack-in-the-Box
Western U.S. QSR overlap in drive-thru, value, tacos, and chicken.
- Wingstop
Chicken-focused franchise scale in wings, tenders, sandwiches, and delivery.
- CAVA
Better-for-you fast casual in customizable bowls, pitas, and digital.
CompareAfter-hours close
| Company | Price | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | $15.31 | +0.07% | $466.3M | 13.1 | 14.9 | 0.9 | +3.0% |
| Yum! Brands | $153.86 | 0.00% | $42.41B | 19.3 | 22.6 | 4.9 | +12.2% |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill | $38.00 | −0.08% | $48.78B | 34.9 | 30.0 | 3.9 | +9.3% |
| Restaurant Brands International | $78.50 | +0.29% | $27.15B | 23.1 | 18.5 | 2.8 | +4.6% |
| Jack-in-the-Box | $16.20 | +0.06% | $308.8M | 9.4 | 4.7 | 0.3 | −22.6% |
| Wingstop | $113.85 | +0.18% | $3.09B | 27.0 | 23.8 | 4.3 | +6.4% |
| CAVA | $66.76 | −0.26% | $7.80B | 121.3 | 110.1 | 5.7 | +31.3% |
| Median | 25.0 | 23.2 | 4.1 | +7.9% |