El Pollo Loco Reformulates Plant-Based Chicken Alternative as Vegan

COSTA MESA, Calif., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“El Pollo Loco” or “Company”) (Nasdaq: LOCO), the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain, today becomes the first national chicken brand in the category to roll out its own vegan chicken alternative system-wide. Following the success of the Chickenless Pollo™ launch earlier this year and positive customer feedback, El Pollo Loco reformulated its fan favorite, plant-based chicken alternative for vegan palates to further the company’s long-term commitment to diversifying the menu with better-for-you options.

Now Certified Vegan. Still Certified Delicious.

Customers can now “Make It Vegan” when ordering a Chickenless Pollo™ Taco or Burrito at all 485 restaurant locations upon request, which removes the cheese as well as the Creamy Cilantro Dressing on the burrito.

“Our customers provided feedback through our social channels. We listened and quickly reformulated the recipe in a matter of a couple months,” said Bernard Acoca, President & Chief Executive Officer at El Pollo Loco. “Evolving our customer favorite Chickenless Pollo™ innovation takes us another step further in the plant-based space and continues our commitment to championing making healthier eating more accessible and affordable.”

The reformulated recipe is certified by the American Vegetarian Association (AVA), the industry’s recognized standard in vegan assurance. It blends traditional Mexican flavors in an adobo sauce with a non-GMO soy protein base created by El Pollo Loco—and no longer contains egg enzymes.

“We are pleased to certify El Pollo Loco’s chicken alternative as vegan,” said Debbie Giambra, Director of Membership Services. “At the American Vegetarian Association, we have strict guidelines that all certified products are required to meet to help ensure that people feel confident when seeking a vegan option.” 

For additional information, please visit www.elpolloloco.com.

About El Pollo Loco El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq: LOCO) is the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant with a mission to bring people together around food, family and culture in the communities it serves. El Pollo Loco is renowned for its handcrafted L.A. Mex food, an innovative blend of traditional Mexican cuisine and better-for-you eating, that Los Angeles is known for. Since 1980, El Pollo Loco has successfully opened and maintained more than 480 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana while remaining true to its Mexican-American heritage. El Pollo Loco continues to grow and evolve, nourishing connections to tradition, culture and one another through fire-grilled goodness that makes us feel like familia. For more information, visit us at www.elpolloloco.com. Like: www.facebook.com/ElPolloLoco Follow on Twitter: @ElPolloLoco  Follow on Instagram: @ElPolloLoco Subscribe: www.youtube.com/OfficialElPolloLoco Join Loco Rewards: www.elpolloloco.com/rewards Join our Team: www.elpolloloco.com/careers

About American Vegetarian Association (AVA)The American Vegetarian Association (AVA) was created to promote the interests and concerns of individuals and organizations involved in the preservation, propagation, and distribution of vegetarian ideas and products. The primary goal of the AVA is to provide a widely recognized certification program which will enable vegetarian-minded people to make accurate food choices, being certain they can be confident in their selection, and that of the manufacturer's claims. For more information, visit www.amerveg.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Hannah Gray Edible 323-202-1477 [email protected]

Source: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

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