California fire-grilled chicken chain heads to Kansas City with tacos, bowls, burritos
California-based El Pollo Loco wants to open in the Kansas City market.
The fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain has signed a franchise agreement for eight locations in the region, to open over the next decade. The first locations will likely be in Kansas City and Olathe, opening in late 2023.
El Pollo Loco’s chicken is marinated in-house daily with a secret recipe of citrus, garlic and spices, then fire-grilled over an open flame and hand-cut to order.
The chicken is a base for a variety of dishes including individual and family meals, bowls, burritos and salads.
Menu items include poblano chicken overstuffed quesadillas, tostada salads, queso blanco burritos, street tacos, shredded beef avocado overstuffed quesadillas, chips and guacamole, chicken tortilla soup, macaroni and cheese, salads and churros, as well as children’s meals.
The area franchisee, EPL Missouri LLC in Kansas City, has a background in restaurant, grocery, liquor and gas station operations. They currently own several grocery and liquor stores including Midtown Market.
Shawn Choudry, one of the partners of EPL Missouri, liked that the chain was new to the Kansas and Missouri markets.
“We love the food. I grew up on it in California. And I love the way it treats its employees as family and they give us a lot of comfort and support as a franchisee,” he said.
His son, Sameer Choudry, 20, will oversee operations. In addition to Kansas City and Olathe, they also will look in such cities as Lawrence, Topeka and Jefferson City.
The new area locations will feature a prototype designed to meet the demand for to-go orders. They may have dining rooms that open to patios, as well as digital menu boards, drive-thrus and “Pollo To-Go” cubbies for mobile to-go and delivery orders.
The restaurants will be about 2,400 square feet and seat about 50 people.
El Pollo Loco, based in Costa Mesa, was founded in 1980 and has more than 485 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas and Utah.
