El Pollo Loco to make New York debut as its moves east
El Pollo Loco is preparing to enter a major new market with the help of two new C-suite appointees.
The California-based quick-serve chain, known its grilled chicken and Mexican-inspired flavorings, is set to enter New York, with the first location expected to open in the New York City borough of Queens in mid-2027. El Pollo Loco has also agreed to terms for three development agreements for 15 area restaurants over the next five years.
The company says the Empire State expansion marks an “important step” in its evolution into a national brand, and builds on three consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth, improved restaurant economics and continued progress against the company’s transformation plan.
El Pollo Loco operates more than 500 restaurants across Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Washington.
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“New York represents an important milestone for El Pollo Loco and a clear proof point in our disciplined growth strategy,” said CEO Liz Williams. “We have strengthened our brand and operations, enhanced our business model, and assembled an experienced leadership team to support sustainable expansion. With committed franchise partners and our first New York lease secured, we are excited to introduce the East Coast to the fire-grilled flavor and hospitality that have defined El Pollo Loco for five decades.”
To help guide the New York expansion, El Pollo Loco has named Damon Thomas as COO and Tara Hinkle as chief development officer.
Thomas most recently served as the senior VP of operations at Shake Shack, spending more than three years with the burger chain. His previous experience includes roles at Yoshinoya America and Raising Cane’s.
“El Pollo Loco has a distinctive brand, a strong operating foundation and significant room to grow,” said Thomas. “I look forward to partnering with our company and franchise teams to drive operational excellence, strengthen the guest experience and build the systems that will support the brand as it enters New York and expands into other new markets.”
Hinkle joined El Pollo Loco as development chief in July, and brings nearly 20 years of experience in franchising, development and operational planning. She most recently served as president and head of Americas for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and previously held franchise strategy and business partnership leadership roles at Taco Bell and Starbucks
“Entering New York is a meaningful step in building a thoughtful, scalable development pipeline for El Pollo Loco,” said Hinkle. “We are working with experienced franchise partners who believe in the brand, known for delicious fire-grilled chicken and fresh, high-quality ingredients, and understand the opportunity in this market.”
