El Pollo Loco reports Q1 adjusted EPS 22c, consensus 14c

Reports Q1 revenue $116.15M, consensus $111.08M. Reports Q1 comparable restaurant sales increased by 5.1%. Liz Williams, Chief Executive Officer of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., stated, “The strength of the El Pollo Loco brand centers around our signature product – fire-grilled, citrus-marinated chicken that is prepared fresh daily for our customers. Since starting as CEO almost two months ago, I have been impressed with the brand’s beloved status among customers and our long-term potential for growth. With our unique positioning at the intersection of the Chicken and Mexican categories, I believe that we can take El Pollo Loco to another level. To that end, I have focused our organization around five strategic pillars: Brand that Wins, Hospitality Mindset, Digital First, Winning Unit Economics, and New Unit Growth, all of which are designed with one goal in mind – to get the right building blocks in place for future success. El Pollo Loco should be and will be a national brand, and I believe we have the right strategy in place to achieve our immense potential.”