El Pollo Loco (LOCO)
Serves citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken through company-run and franchised quick-service restaurants.
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Sells citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken, bowls, burritos, tostadas, tacos, salads, soup, sides, catering, and digital-order meals through company-operated and franchised restaurants. The footprint is heavily California-centered, with franchisee execution, chicken and labor costs, and Southern California conditions shaping the model.
Builds a quick-service restaurant system around citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken served in Mexican and Los Angeles-inspired meals, including burritos, quesadillas, tostada salads, tortilla soup, tacos, bowls, sides, catering, and digital orders. Revenue comes from company-operated restaurants, franchise royalties, and franchise advertising fees.
Operates mainly in the United States with a heavily California-centered footprint and a small licensed presence in the Philippines. Management's current plan focuses on brand refresh, hospitality, digital engagement, unit economics, and renewed unit growth.
Execution depends on consistent restaurant operations across owned and franchised units, menu simplification, speed, order accuracy, and technology upgrades such as kiosks and kitchen display systems. Southern California conditions, chicken and labor costs, and franchisee execution shape the business.
Company facts
Target rangeAs of Sep 21, 2026
Latest analyst notes
| Date | Firm | Action | Prior | Current |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | DA Davidson | Reiterate | Rating: —Target: $15 | Target: $17 |
| May 11, 2026 | DA Davidson | Reiterate | Rating: —Target: $11 | Target: $15 |
| Mar 13, 2026 | D.A. Davidson | Target | Target: — | Target: $11 |
| Mar 13, 2026 | Benchmark | Upgrade | ||
| Dec 15, 2025 | Jefferies | Reiterate | Rating: —Target: — | Target: $13.50 |
EPSReportedEstimate
RevenueReportedEstimate
Balance sheet, Jul 1, 2026Cash & short-term investments $13.3M · Total debt $219.4M · Total assets $618.8M · Shareholders' equity $317.0M
- Revenue
- $129.6M
- Operating income
- $18.7M
- Net income
- $12.8M
| Institutions | ≈ 93.83% | 28.58M shares | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 154 holders · as of Jun 30, 2026 · largest filers plus last quarter's tail | |||
| Insiders | 2.60% | 790.5K shares | |
| 13 holders · as of Aug 25, 2026 | |||
| Other | ≈ 3.57% | 1.09M shares | |
| remainder | |||
30.46M company shares as of Sep 22, 2026 · institutions as of Jun 30, 2026 · holders as of their latest filing
This quarter's institutional total failed a plausibility check; shown: the largest filers plus last quarter's remainder.
Top shareholders13F · 13D/G · Form 4
| Holder | Stake | Shares | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Biglari Capital Corp.Institution | 12.40% | 3.78M | as of Jun 30, 2026 |
BlackRock, Inc.Institution | 8.08% | 2.46M | as of Jun 30, 2026 |
Dimensional Fund Advisors LPInstitution | 6.73% | 2.05M | as of Jun 30, 2026 |
The Vanguard GroupInstitution | 5.58% | 1.70M | filed Feb 9, 2022 |
LSV Asset ManagementInstitution | 4.83% | 1.47M | as of Jun 30, 2026 |
Insider tradesForm 4
| Date | Insider | Role | Shares | Avg price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −550 | $17.06 |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −40,000 | $16.90 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −10,000 | $16.73 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −6,611 | $16.71 |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Sardar Biglari | 10 percent owner | −273 | $16.70 |
- Yum! Brands
KFC and Taco Bell span chicken and Mexican-inspired QSR.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
Mexican fast-casual scale in burritos, bowls, tacos, and digital.
- Restaurant Brands International
Popeyes and Burger King pressure chicken and drive-thru QSR occasions.
- Jack-in-the-Box
Western U.S. QSR overlap in drive-thru, value, tacos, and chicken.
- Wingstop
Chicken-focused franchise scale in wings, tenders, sandwiches, and delivery.
- CAVA
Better-for-you fast casual in customizable bowls, pitas, and digital.
Compare
| Company | Price | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Pollo Loco | $14.43 | +1.26% | $434.0M | 12.2 | 14.0 | 0.9 | +3.0% |
| Yum! Brands | $140.45 | +0.80% | $38.42B | 17.5 | 20.9 | 4.4 | +12.2% |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill | $33.28 | +0.41% | $42.48B | 30.4 | 26.3 | 3.4 | +9.3% |
| Restaurant Brands International | $72.29 | −0.37% | $25.17B | 21.4 | 17.0 | 2.6 | +4.6% |
| Jack-in-the-Box | $13.53 | +1.42% | $254.4M | 7.7 | — | 0.2 | −22.6% |
| Wingstop | $104.86 | −2.30% | $2.92B | 25.5 | 22.1 | 4.1 | +6.4% |
| CAVA | $53.12 | +2.15% | $6.06B | 94.3 | 86.4 | 4.4 | +31.3% |
| Median | 23.4 | 22.1 | 3.7 | +7.9% |