El Pollo Loco 307663 224862570 2008-07-10T19:15:43Z Research.abe 7455844 /* External links */ {{Infobox_Company | company_name = El Pollo Loco | company_logo = <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Epl logos.jpg|150px]] -->| company_type = privately held company | company_slogan = | foundation = [[Guasave]], [[Sinaloa]], in 1975 | location = [[Orange County, California]]| key_people = Juan Francisco Ochoa| industry = [[Fast Food]] | products = Flame-Grilled Chicken and related [[Mexican food]]| revenue = | num_employees = | homepage = [http://www.elpolloloco.com/ www.elpolloloco.com] }} '''El Pollo Loco''' of [[Irvine, California]][http://www.hoovers.com/free/search/simple/xmillion/index.xhtml?query_string=El+Pollo+Loco&which=company&page=1&search_x=0&search_y=0], is a [[fast-food restaurant]] chain and [[Mexico|Mexican]] grilled [[chicken]] [[Franchising|franchise]]. "''El Pollo Loco''" is [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "''The Crazy Chicken''". Juan Francisco Ochoa started the restaurant in [[Guasave]], [[Mexico]], in [[1975]]. By [[1979]], the chain had expanded over northern Mexico. In [[1980]], the first U.S. restaurant opened in [[Los Angeles]], California. In [[1983]], the American restaurants in the chain were acquired by [[Denny's]], with an agreement where the Ochoa family could operate the restaurants in Mexico. There are some holes in the history presented at the [http://www.elpolloloco.com El Pollo Loco website], however. The [[USPTO]] reports that [http://assignments.uspto.gov/assignments/q?db=tm&sno=73302431 El Pollo Loco's trademark] was assigned from a Humberto Galvez to the El Pollo Loco corporation in [[1981]]. El Pollo Loco joined the former [[Trans World Corporation]] with the rest of Denny's in [[1987]], but was sold as the holding company got rid of all its operations other than Denny's. Humberto Galvez later started the Pescado Mojado (rhyming Spanish for "The Wet Fish") chain of fish restaurants. [[Image:Elpolloloco.jpg|thumb|left|A typical El Pollo Loco restaurant]] In the United States, the El Pollo Loco chain operates in the Southwest and California, with two locations in the [[Chicago area]], four in metro Atlanta, one in Connecticut at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Ledyard and a recently opened location in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. El Pollo Loco opened their first restaurant in Washington state on May 5th, 2008 (Cinco de Mayo) in Vancouver, Washington. Their main dish is ''pollo asado'', a grilled marinated chicken. Initially, their competition was with [[KFC]] for plates of chicken, but today, they have expanded into burritos and salads, and serve items that compete with [[Taco Bell]], [[Del Taco]] and other Mexican style restaurants. Their primary competition appears to come from smaller mom-and-pop restaurants with copycat names. [[Image:ElPolloLocoLA.jpg|thumb|right|El Pollo Loco restaurant]] The chain's most recent marketing efforts, featuring a handsome Latino playing a character named ''El Caliente'' (Spanish for 'The Hot One') (played by [[Matt Cedeño]]), have drawn fire from [[Chicano]] advocacy groups who claim that the ads depict a stereotypical view of Latinos. Generally, however, ''El Caliente'' is seen as less offensive than previous Latino mascots, such as the [[Frito Bandito]]. In [[Mexico]], the originating chain still operates under the same name and logo in most of northern Mexico, particularly in cities such as [[Monterrey]] or [[Culiacán]]. The chain enjoys high commercialization on take out and fast food selling primarily grilled chicken. The chain marketing efforts are primarily on radio. == External links == * [http://www.elpolloloco.com/indexflash.html El Pollo Loco website] {{Establishments serving chicken}} [[Category:Companies based in Irvine, California]] [[Category:Fast-food chains of the United States]] [[Category:Fast-food poultry restaurants]] [[Category:Fast-food Mexican restaurants]] [[Category:Fast-food franchises]] [[Category:Fast Casual Dining Restaurant]] [[es:El Pollo Loco]] [[fr:El Pollo Loco]] [[id:El Pollo Loco]]