We are thrilled to announce the grand opening on Monday of our beautiful new restaurant in Gainesville . Located at 537 Shallowford Road , the new restaurant is the second of 50 planned restaurants in the greater Atlanta area...
IRVINE, CA – September 21, 2007 – Atlanta has a brand new flame, and Gainesville is among the first towns to “ignite” it! Following much anticipation around the arrival of El Pollo Loco in Atlanta , restaurateurs Chris Elliott and Joe Uhl of Fiesta Brands, Inc. will open the doors to the Southeast’s second El Pollo Loco on Monday, September 24th at 10:00 a.m. in Gainesville . El Pollo Loco, Inc., a leading franchise of more than 375 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-inspired entrees.
The new Gainesville restaurant, located at 537 Shallowford Road is ¼ mile west of Pearl Nix Parkway . The restaurant is approximately 3,200 square feet and offers bright, comfortable seating for more than 80 guests. It employs more than 60 new hires from the local community and is open seven days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 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.
Gainesville’s new El Pollo Loco features the company’s new building design. The impressive exterior evokes contemporary Mexican design with multiple textures, geometric shapes, natural wood and Aztec design elements. The dramatic interior 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 new dining room is a circular, self serve salsa bar approachable from all directions so guests can easily customize their menu selections with any combination of El Pollo Loco’s signature salsas. All are prepared fresh every day.
The Gainesville location marks the second of 50 El Pollo Loco restaurants that Fiesta Brands, Inc. plans to open in the greater Atlanta area. Late last month, El Pollo Loco opened its first Atlanta-area El Pollo Loco in Hiram to the delight of crowds outside the restaurant eager to taste the famous citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken that put El Pollo Loco on the map. Two more El Pollo Loco locations in Marietta and Lithia Springs are set to open in October. In November, Fiesta Brands, Inc. plans to open a location in Roswell and more restaurants in Lithonia and Chamblee are set to open in December.
To welcome the community, a special Grand Opening celebration for the public will be held Saturday, October 6, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The first 100 people to arrive will win El Pollo Loco chicken for a year! The event will also feature a Mariachi band, live DJ, food sampling, and a variety of activities for the entire family, including an appearance by the El Pollo Loco Crazy Chicken, clowns, face painting, and more.
“We are absolutely thrilled to kick off El Pollo Loco’s Southeast expansion here in Gainesville ,” said Chris Elliott , CEO of Fiesta Brands, Inc., who along with partner Joe Uhl , COO of Fiesta Brands, Inc., and their company is bringing the locations to Atlanta . “Georgians who have experienced El Pollo Loco while traveling out West 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.”
Fiesta Brands, Inc. will develop the remainder of its locations over the next six years. Partners Chris Elliott and Joe Uhl are both 30-year industry veterans. Elliott, CEO of Fiesta Brands, is the former COO of Church’s Chicken and former President of Cinnabon. Uhl, COO of Fiesta Brands, is the former President of JRM, the largest Cinnabon franchise partner during his tenure with the company.
“No one else does what El Pollo Loco does with its fresh, natural citrus-marinated chicken grilled over an open flame. Simply put, El Pollo Loco has the best tasting food in the entire chicken category; nothing comes close in terms of flavor and food quality,” said Elliott. “El Pollo Loco truly has the whole package – a healthy dining option with the freshest ingredients and exceptional customer service. We’re excited to bring the concept to Gainesville and other locations in the Atlanta area. Based on our research, the region is primed and ready for El Pollo Loco.”
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 377 restaurants (218 franchised locations and 159 company-owned restaurants) located in California , Arizona , Nevada , Texas , Colorado , Illinois , Connecticut and Georgia . Headquartered in Irvine , California , El Pollo Loco, Inc. is a privately held company owned by Trimaran Capital Partners and company 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.