Press Release
- System-wide comparable restaurant sales for the fourth quarter decreased 0.2%. The decrease consisted of a 3.0% decline in company-operated comparable restaurant sales, partially offset by a 1.8% increase in franchise restaurants. These compare to system-wide, company-operated and franchise restaurant growth of 3.9%, 4.3% and 3.6%, respectively, during the fourth quarter of 2019. System-wide comparable restaurant sales declined approximately 2.0% in
Los Angeles and surrounding areas while increasing approximately 3.0% in other markets. - Fourth quarter revenue is expected to be
$109.5 –$110.5 million , reflecting the Company’s comparable restaurant sales performance, which was negatively impacted by reduced operating hours in many of the Company’s restaurants, and temporary restaurant closures required to ensure the safety of employees and customers. - During the quarter, the Company incurred approximately
$2.5 million in COVID related expenses, of which$1.7 million was unanticipated as of its third quarter earnings call. These expenses were primarily due to leaves of absence and overtime pay. - The vast majority of
El Pollo Loco restaurants continue to operate on a take-away, mobile pick-up and delivery basis only, as well as maintaining drive-thru operations where available, in light of the government-mandated closures to our dining rooms. At the start of 2020, 40% of total sales were driven through the drive thru, which has grown to nearly 70% today. Over the same period, delivery and digital sales have doubled, growing to 6% and 10% of total sales, respectively.
The expected financial results are preliminary and unaudited, have not been reviewed by the Company’s independent registered public accountants, and remain subject to the completion of normal year-end accounting procedures and adjustments and are subject to change. The Company expects to release final financial and operating results for its fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year ended
ICR Conference Participation
Company management will host a virtual fireside chat at the 23rd Annual
About
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements because they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “potential,” “project,” “projection,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “will,” “should,” “can,” “can have,” “likely,” the negatives thereof and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. They appear in a number of places throughout this press release and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, sales levels, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industry in which we operate and our outlook as COVID-19 conditions improve. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected.
While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this press release in the context of the risks and uncertainties that could cause outcomes to differ materially from our expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our company, our employees, our customers, our partners, our industry and the economy as a whole, our franchisees ability to maintain operations in their individual restaurants, our ability to open new restaurants in existing and new markets and to expand our franchise system, including difficulty in finding sites and in negotiating acceptable leases; our ability to compete successfully and the intense competition in the restaurant industry; the adverse impact of economic conditions on our (i) operating results and financial condition, (ii) ability to comply with the terms and covenants of our debt agreements, and (iii) ability to pay or refinance our existing debt or to obtain additional financing; vulnerability to changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions; political and social factors, including regarding trade, immigration and customer preferences; vulnerability to conditions in the greater
We caution you that the important factors referenced above may not contain all of the factors that are important to you. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will realize the results or developments we expect or anticipate or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the consequences we anticipate or affect us or our operations in the ways that we expect. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
Investor Contact:
fitzhugh.taylor@icrinc.com
714-599-5200
Media Contact:
hannah.gray@edible-inc.com
323-202-1477
Source: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.