El Pollo Loco Becomes First Chicken Brand to Rollout Plant-Based Chicken Alternative System-Wide

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“El Pollo Loco” or “Company”) (Nasdaq: LOCO), the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain, becomes the first national chicken brand in the category to deliver plant-based chicken system-wide with the launch of its new Chickenless Pollo™ Taco and Burrito. The rollout furthers El Pollo Loco’s commitment to making healthier living more accessible and convenient for its progressive-minded customers.

Maintaining its high culinary standards, El Pollo Loco bypassed the popular suppliers in the space and instead created its own plant-based protein for the new Chickenless Pollo™ Taco and Burrito. The recipe uniquely blends authentic Mexican flavors in an adobo sauce with a non-GMO 100% soy protein base that mirrors shredded chicken – all done with the better-for-you spirit of Los Angeles, El Pollo Loco’s hometown.

And there’s even more to look forward to in the future. El Pollo Loco will continue to evolve and diversify its menu with purpose to make healthier living more accessible and convenient – with additional Chickenless Pollo™ innovations in the pipeline.

“We are closely listening to what our customers are saying and feel confident the new Chickenless Pollo™ Taco and Burrito menu items will meet their lifestyle needs,” said Bernard Acoca, President & Chief Executive Officer at El Pollo Loco.

To drive attention to the launch of Chickenless Pollo™, El Pollo Loco captured a day in the life of Cordell, a Chickenless Pollo Farmer. The video takes a light-hearted approach to a topic that people often take too seriously. “A lot of people have asked us where we source our new plant-based Chickenless Pollo™. This video should put those questions to rest,” said Acoca.

Visit El Pollo Loco’s YouTube to view the supporting Chickenless Pollo Farmer Video and T.V. commercials.

About El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq:LOCO) is the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant with a mission to bring people together around food, family and culture in the communities it serves. El Pollo Loco is renowned for its handcrafted L.A. Mex food, an innovative blend of traditional Mexican cuisine and better-for-you eating, that Los Angeles is known for. Since 1980, El Pollo Loco has successfully opened and maintained more than 480 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana while remaining true to its Mexican-American heritage. El Pollo Loco continues to grow and evolve, nourishing connections to tradition, culture and one another through fire-grilled goodness that makes us feel like familia. For more information, visit us at www.elpolloloco.com.

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Hannah Gray
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