DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Description of Business	1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are collectively known as “we,” “us” or the “Company.” The Company’s activities are conducted principally through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“EPL”), which develops, franchises, licenses and operates quick-service restaurants under the name El Pollo Loco ®. The restaurants, which are located principally in California but also in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Utah and Louisiana, specialize in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken in a wide variety of contemporary Mexican and LA-inspired entrees, including specialty chicken burritos, chicken quesadillas, chicken tostada salads, chicken tortilla soup, variations on our Pollo Bowl®, Pollo Salads and our Pollo Fit entrees. At December 28, 2022, the Company operated 188 (138 in the greater Los Angeles area) and franchised 302 (141 in the greater Los Angeles area) El Pollo Loco restaurants. In addition, the Company currently licenses five restaurants in the Philippines. The Company’s largest stockholder is Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. (“LLC”), which is controlled by affiliates of Trimaran Capital, L.L.C. LLC acquired Chicken Acquisition Corp. (“CAC”), a predecessor of Holdings, on November 17, 2005 (the “Acquisition”). As of December 28, 2022, LLC, FS Equity Partners V, L.P. and FS Affiliates V, L.P. own approximately 30.3%, 14.8% and 0.2%, respectively, of the Company’s outstanding common stock. FS Equity V and FS Affiliates V, which previously indirectly held shares of the Company’s common stock through LLC, received shares directly on August 31, 2022, upon LLC’s pro rata distribution in kind of shares of the Company’s common stock to FS Equity V and FS Affiliates V. LLC’s only material asset is its investment in Holdings. On April 22, 2014, CAC, the LLC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Chicken Subsidiary Corp (“CSC”) and CSC’s wholly owned subsidiary, the former El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Old Holdings”) entered into the following reorganization transactions: (i) Old Holdings merged with and into CSC with CSC continuing as the surviving corporation; (ii) CSC merged with and into CAC with CAC continuing as the surviving corporation and (iii) CAC renamed itself El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. Holdings has no material assets or operations. Holdings and Holdings’ direct subsidiary, EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“Intermediate”), guarantee EPL’s 2022 Revolver (see Note 6 “Long-Term Debt”) on a full and unconditional basis and Intermediate has no subsidiaries other than EPL. EPL is a separate and distinct legal entity, and has no obligation to make funds available to Intermediate. EPL and Intermediate may pay dividends to Intermediate and to Holdings, respectively. The Company operates in one operating segment. All significant revenues relate to retail sales of food and beverages through either company or franchised restaurants.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2022

1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are collectively known as “we,” “us” or the “Company.” The Company’s activities are conducted principally through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“EPL”), which develops, franchises, licenses and operates quick-service restaurants under the name El Pollo Loco ®. The restaurants, which are located principally in California but also in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Utah and Louisiana, specialize in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken in a wide variety of contemporary Mexican and LA-inspired entrees, including specialty chicken burritos, chicken quesadillas, chicken tostada salads, chicken tortilla soup, variations on our Pollo Bowl®, Pollo Salads and our Pollo Fit entrees. At December 28, 2022, the Company operated 188 (138 in the greater Los Angeles area) and franchised 302 (141 in the greater Los Angeles area) El Pollo Loco restaurants. In addition, the Company currently licenses five restaurants in the Philippines. The Company’s largest stockholder is Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. (“LLC”), which is controlled by affiliates of Trimaran Capital, L.L.C. LLC acquired Chicken Acquisition Corp. (“CAC”), a predecessor of Holdings, on November 17, 2005 (the “Acquisition”). As of December 28, 2022, LLC, FS Equity Partners V, L.P. and FS Affiliates V, L.P. own approximately 30.3%, 14.8% and 0.2%, respectively, of the Company’s outstanding common stock. FS Equity V and FS Affiliates V, which previously indirectly held shares of the Company’s common stock through LLC, received shares directly on August 31, 2022, upon LLC’s pro rata distribution in kind of shares of the Company’s common stock to FS Equity V and FS Affiliates V. LLC’s only material asset is its investment in Holdings.

On April 22, 2014, CAC, the LLC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Chicken Subsidiary Corp (“CSC”) and CSC’s wholly owned subsidiary, the former El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Old Holdings”) entered into the following reorganization transactions: (i) Old Holdings merged with and into CSC with CSC continuing as the surviving corporation; (ii) CSC merged with and into CAC with CAC continuing as the surviving corporation and (iii) CAC renamed itself El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

Holdings has no material assets or operations. Holdings and Holdings’ direct subsidiary, EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“Intermediate”), guarantee EPL’s 2022 Revolver (see Note 6 “Long-Term Debt”) on a full and unconditional basis and Intermediate has no subsidiaries other than EPL. EPL is a separate and distinct legal entity, and has no obligation to make funds available to Intermediate. EPL and Intermediate may pay dividends to Intermediate and to Holdings, respectively.

The Company operates in one operating segment. All significant revenues relate to retail sales of food and beverages through either company or franchised restaurants.