COSTA MESA, Calif., Dec. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq:LOCO), the nation's leading fire-grilled chicken chain, recently named Market Force Information (Market Force), a leader in customer experience management, as the 2017 winner of the Company's Award of Excellence in the category of Services and Technology. The El Pollo Loco Awards of Excellence are part of the Company's tradition of recognizing outstanding contributions from its vendor partners who have demonstrated superior performance in sales, support, and years of service.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ab6e113-5ac8-40f8-89eb-86f5b1be7c5f

"At El Pollo Loco, we are continually innovating to provide not only delicious food, but also a great experience for our guests, and we are fortunate to have many partners that contribute to our goals and success," said Steve Sather, CEO of El Pollo Loco. "Leveraging technology to enhance our business is a significant area of focus for the Company, and Market Force's comprehensive data-driven dashboard, KnowledgeForce, provides insights that allow us to execute at a higher level and better serve our customers while also moving the needle for the Company. We are pleased to recognize Market Force with our 2017 Award of Excellence in Services and Technology and greatly appreciate their dedication to El Pollo Loco."

The partnership between El Pollo Loco and Market Force began in 2005 as a simple customer service program. Over the years, it evolved into a multifaceted program that includes El Pollo Loco's use of Market Force's measurement and management solutions, including mystery shopping, operational audits, customer satisfaction surveys, contact center services and loyalty analytics. The Company also leverages Market Force's Blended Index metric to better understand performance as a whole to realize measurable results.

"Our relationship with El Pollo Loco dates back many years, and while the strategy has changed over time, our overarching goal has remained the same — offer ideas and strategies to help drive change and ultimately improve the customer experience," said Ray Walsh, CEO of Market Force. "El Pollo Loco is truly dedicated to providing an exceptional customer experience, and we're honored to help contribute to their positive achievements in this area, and look forward to continue to provide them with the analytics and insights they need to ensure every guest experience is exceptional."

Market Force's technology provides multi-location businesses with a robust framework for measuring and improving operational excellence, customer experience and financial key performance indicators. Its location-level measurement solutions help businesses protect their brand reputation, delight customers and make more money.

About El Pollo Loco:
El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq:LOCO) is the nation's leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain renowned for its masterfully citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken and handcrafted entrees using fresh ingredients inspired by Mexican recipes. With more than 470 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah, El Pollo Loco is expanding its presence in key markets through a combination of company and existing and new franchisee development. Visit us on our website at www.elpolloloco.com.

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About Market Force Information
Market Force Information® is a customer experience (CX) management company that provides location-level measurement solutions that help businesses protect their brand reputation, delight customers and make more money. Solutions include customer experience surveys, employee engagement surveys, mystery shopping, contact center services and social media review tracking, which are integrated into one technology and analytics platform, KnowledgeForce®. Founded in 2005, Market Force has a growing global presence, with offices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France and Spain. It serves more than 200 clients that operate multi-location businesses, including restaurants, major retailers, grocery and drug stores, petro/convenience stores, banking & financial institutions and entertainment brands. The company has been recognized in 2017 as one of the top 50 market research organizations in the AMA Gold Report and by Forrester as a Breakout Vendor. For more information about Market Force, please visit us online www.marketforce.com.

Media Contact:
ICR
Christine Beggan
LOCO@icrinc.com
203-682-8329