COSTA MESA, Calif., Dec. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“El Pollo Loco” or “Company) (Nasdaq: LOCO), the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain, today announced the return of its fan favorite Pollo Fit Bowls with a delicious twist, just in time to get back to your best self in the new year.

Due to the unique circumstances of the global pandemic, 2020 was a year of being more stationary than normal as people sheltered at home. This confinement has led to people to choose unhealthy delivery and take-out options, indulgent comfort food as a quick fix to reduce stress, and a departure from exercise routines that for many have led to the unwanted “Quarantine Bod.” To help say adiós to those unwanted pounds, El Pollo Loco is bringing back its beloved Pollo Fit Bowls, which make it easier for customers to start the year off with healthier habits. This year’s lineup includes double the citrus marinated fire-grilled chicken, organic super greens, and cilantro lime cauliflower rice – El Pollo Loco’s latest culinary innovation giving customers a lower calorie, lower carb option that will not weigh them down.

“The last 10 months have had many of us sequestered at home, disrupting our routines and causing us to engage in less than ideal eating behaviors. Too many of us have replaced the gym for the couch with undesirable consequences. Our new better-for-you Pollo Fit Bowls are the perfect way to help you get back to your best self in the new year. We are proud we are able to offer our customers organic ingredients and low carb options like cauliflower rice that are simply not available at quick service restaurants,” said Bernard Acoca, President & Chief Executive Officer at El Pollo Loco.

Handcrafted to fit any lifestyle, the Pollo Fit Bowls offer a more balanced approach to healthier eating with options that are both keto-friendly and tastebud friendly. The new lineup, available system-wide, includes:

• Double Protein Avocado Pollo Fit Bowl: This keto-friendly bowl is made with a double portion of citrus marinated fire-grilled chopped chicken breast, organic super greens, a lettuce blend with red cabbage, cilantro lime cauliflower rice, freshly sliced avocados, Tapatío seasoning, house-made pico de gallo salsa, and queso fresco.
  
  
• Double Protein Fajita Pollo Fit Bowl: With 52g of protein, this bowl is made with a double portion of citrus marinated fire-grilled chopped chicken breast, organic super greens, a lettuce blend with red cabbage, seasoned black beans, fajita vegetables, freshly sliced avocados, Tapatío seasoning, and queso fresco.
  
  
• Double Protein Mexican Caesar Pollo Fit Bowl: With only 4g net carbs, this keto-friendly bowl is made with a double portion of citrus marinated fire-grilled chopped chicken breast, organic super greens, a lettuce blend with red cabbage, sliced radishes, crumbled cotija cheese, freshly sliced avocados, Tapatío seasoning, and is topped with a lemon wedge.
  

Out with the old, in with the new!
As El Pollo Loco continues its better-for-you innovations in 2021, dressings will be getting a makeover, too. Early in the new year, the company plans to remove high-fructose corn syrup in its most popular dressing, the Keto Certified Creamy Cilantro Dressing. In addition, the Citrus Vinaigrette will be replaced with a new Mexican Vinaigrette, which is also Keto Certified and free of high-fructose corn syrup. All of these changes are part of El Pollo Loco’s continued commitment to democratize better-for-you eating, making it accessible and affordable for as many people as possible.

The Pollo Fit Bowl rollout will be supported across TV, social and digital. The supporting videos can be viewed on El Pollo Loco’s YouTube. Check out TV spot #1: Adios; TV spot #2: Sweatpants.

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 475 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

MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Gray
Edible
323-206-0800
hannah.gray@edible-inc.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6f73528-aabe-47ac-bfe3-5706ee31d3da

Source: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.