COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq:LOCO) the nation's leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain, continues its expansion as 2014 comes to a close with the opening of three new franchised locations in California and one new franchised location in Nevada. The new restaurants will employ approximately 50 people each.

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The new restaurants are located at:

• Reno, NV: The new restaurant located at 8030 S. Virginia Street opened on December 19.
• Victorville, CA: The new restaurant located at 12294 Palmdale Road opened on December 22.
• Stockton, CA: The new restaurant located at 10506 Trinity Pkwy opened on December 26.
• Santa Paula, CA: The new restaurant located at 252 W. Harvard Blvd opened on December 29.

All of the new locations incorporate the brand's hacienda design which features an open kitchen layout designed for customers to watch the signature chicken as it is grilled.

"The opening of these four new restaurants marks the end of an exciting 2014 for El Pollo Loco. We will complete 2014 with a total of five new franchised locations, which exceeds our forecast of four franchised openings for the year," said Mark A. Belanger, CFE, Vice President, Franchise at El Pollo Loco. "We are thrilled to be working closely with our franchise partners as they open additional El Pollo Loco restaurants. As we execute on our strategic growth plan, we will continue to seek strong franchisees as a vital component in furthering El Pollo Loco expansion in 2015 and beyond."

Go crazy and join El Pollo Loco's eClub and My Loco Rewards program for exclusive news, rewards and previews delivered directly to your inbox. My Loco Rewards also allows members to voice their opinion and learn from other passionate Grill Masters. For more information on El Pollo Loco or for franchising opportunities, please visit www.ElPolloLoco.com and check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

About El Pollo Loco

With more than 400 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah, El Pollo Loco is the nation's leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain renowned for its masterfully citrus-marinated and fire-grilled chicken and handcrafted entrees using fresh ingredients inspired by authentic Mexican recipes. Some say the lengths we go to create fresh, delicious food are crazy. We say it's Crazy You Can Taste. For more information on El Pollo Loco or franchising opportunities, visit our website at ElPolloLoco.com. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter and join the craze with the My Loco Rewards program for exclusive news, rewards and previews.

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