490+ restaurant chain scaling operations across the Southwest
El Pollo Loco operates a multi-state quick-service restaurant chain with heavy reliance on Oracle Simphony, Dayforce, and Snowflake for point-of-sale, workforce management, and analytics. The hiring velocity is accelerating—421 roles posted in the last 30 days—with 97% of active headcount concentrated in operations, signaling aggressive unit expansion. Current focus spans new restaurant openings, capital projects, and remodels, alongside internal pressure on labor cost control and inventory accuracy.
Notable leadership hires: Director of Operations, Construction & Facilities Director
El Pollo Loco is a publicly traded restaurant operator founded in 1980 with 490+ locations across six states, primarily in the Southwest. The chain specializes in fire-grilled chicken prepared with citrus marinades, served as part of family dinners and Mexican-inspired entrees, plus catering and online ordering. The business operates a field-heavy organizational structure with operations teams managing daily unit performance, supported by centralized functions in finance, marketing, and IT. Current expansion includes new restaurant openings and property remodels across the United States, Canada, and Peru.
Primary stack includes Oracle Simphony for POS, Dayforce for payroll and workforce scheduling, Snowflake for analytics, plus security tools (Palo Alto Networks, CyberArk, SentinelOne). Currently adopting Oracle Fusion for enterprise resource planning.
490+ locations across six states as of the latest profile data, with ongoing new restaurant openings and remodel projects indicating continued growth.
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