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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2014

Registration No. 333-            

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS, INC.

 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware		5812		20-3563182
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

3535 Harbor Blvd., Suite 100

Costa Mesa, California 92626

(714) 599-5000

 

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Laurance Roberts

Chief Financial Officer

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

3535 Harbor Blvd., Suite 100

Costa Mesa, California 92626

(714) 599-5000

 

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

(Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service)

 

Richard B. Aftanas, Esq.		Marc D. Jaffe, Esq.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP		Ian D. Schuman, Esq.
Four Times Square		Latham & Watkins LLP
New York, New York 10036-6522		885 Third Avenue
(212) 735-3000		New York, New York 10022-4834
		(212) 906-1200

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box:  ¨

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer		¨				Accelerated filer		¨
Non-accelerated filer		x		(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)		Smaller reporting company		¨

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price (1) (2)		Amount of Registration Fee (1)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share		$100,000,000		$12,880

(1)	Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(2)	Includes offering price of shares of common stock that the underwriters have the option to purchase pursuant to their option to purchase additional shares.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 24, 2014
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Shares
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
Common Stock
We are offering shares of our common stock. This is our initial public offering and no public market currently exists for our common stock. We expect the public offering price to be between $ and $ per share. We intend to apply to have our common stock listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “LOCO.”
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read the ‘‘Risk Factors’’ section beginning on page 14 of this prospectus.
We are an “emerging growth company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
PER SHARE
TOTAL
Public offering price $ $
Underwriting discounts and commissions $ $
Proceeds to us before expenses $ $
Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about , 2014. We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase additional shares of our common stock. If the underwriters exercise the option in full, the total underwriting discounts and commissions payable by us will be $, and the total proceeds to us, before expenses, will be $.
Joint Book-Running Managers
Jefferies
Morgan Stanley
Baird
William Blair
Stifel
Prospectus dated , 2014

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IT ALL STARTS WITH
THE CHICKEN

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FIRE-GRILLED CHICKEN
BURRITOS & TACOS
SOUPS & SALADS
QUESADILLAS & BOWLS

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We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus and in any related free-writing prospectus we may prepare or authorize to be delivered to you. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we and the underwriters take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

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Market and Industry Data and Forecasts			ii
Basis of Presentation			ii
Trademarks and Copyrights			iv
Prospectus Summary			1
Risk Factors			14
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			31
Use of Proceeds			33
Dividend Policy			34
Capitalization			35
Dilution			36
Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data			37
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations			39
Business			62
Management			74
Executive Compensation			79
Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions			83
Principal Stockholders			85
Description of Capital Stock			87
Shares Eligible for Future Sale			92
Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders			94
Underwriting			97
Legal Matters			104
Experts			104
Where You Can Find More Information			104
Index to the Consolidated Financial Statements			F-1
Index to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements			F-34

Through and including                     , 2014 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.

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MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA AND FORECASTS

Certain market and industry data included in this prospectus, including industry data derived from information provided by Technomic, Inc. (“Technomic”), has been obtained from third party sources that we believe to be reliable. Market estimates are calculated by using independent industry publications, government publications and third party forecasts in conjunction with our assumptions about our markets. We have not independently verified such third party information. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any market, industry or similar data presented herein, such data involves risks and uncertainties and is subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the headings “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in this prospectus.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

In this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

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“we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” or “Holdings” refers collectively to El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., the issuer of the common stock in this offering, and its subsidiaries;

 

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“Intermediate” refers to our direct, wholly owned subsidiary, EPL Intermediate, Inc.;

 

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“EPL” or “El Pollo Loco” refers to El Pollo Loco, Inc., which does not have any subsidiaries and is Intermediate’s sole subsidiary;

 

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“Trimaran” refers to Trimaran Capital Partners, its predecessors and, where applicable, certain funds managed by Trimaran;

 

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“Freeman Spogli” refers to Freeman Spogli & Co. and, where applicable, certain funds managed by Freeman Spogli;

 

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“LLC” refers to Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C., an affiliate of Trimaran and Freeman Spogli and our majority stockholder;

 

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“our restaurant system” refers to both company-operated and franchised restaurants, and the number of restaurants presented in our restaurant system, unless otherwise indicated, is as of March 26, 2014;

 

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“our restaurants” or results or statistics attributable to one or more restaurants without expressly identifying them as company-operated, franchised or the entire restaurant system, refers to our company-operated restaurants only;

 

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“system-wide sales” refers to restaurant-level sales for company-operated restaurants plus sales reported to us by our franchisees; and

 

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“El Pollo Loco” is Spanish for “The Crazy Chicken.”

We use a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Wednesday of each calendar year. Fiscal 2011, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 ended on December 28, 2011, December 26, 2012 and December 25, 2013, respectively.

In a 52-week fiscal year, each quarter includes 13 weeks of operations; in a 53-week fiscal year, the first, second and third quarters each include 13 weeks of operations and the fourth quarter includes 14 weeks of operations. Approximately every six or seven years a 53-week fiscal year occurs. Fiscal 2011, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 were 52-week fiscal years. Fiscal 2014 is a 53-week fiscal year.

Comparable restaurant sales growth reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the comparable restaurant base. A restaurant enters our comparable restaurant base the first full week after its 15-month anniversary.

 

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System-wide comparable restaurant sales include restaurant sales at all comparable company-operated restaurants and at all comparable franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. While we do not record franchised restaurant sales as revenue, our royalty revenue is calculated based on a percentage of franchised restaurant sales.

We measure company-operated average unit volumes (“AUVs”) on both a weekly and an annual basis. Weekly AUVs consist of comparable restaurant sales over a seven day period from Thursday to Wednesday. Annual AUVs are calculated using the following methodology: First, we divide our total net sales for all company-operated restaurants for the fiscal year by the total number of restaurant operating weeks during the same period. Second, we annualize that average weekly per-restaurant sales figure by multiplying it by 52. An operating week is defined as a restaurant open for business over a seven day period from Thursday to Wednesday. This measurement allows management to assess changes in consumer spending patterns at our restaurants and the overall performance of our restaurant base.

Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Restaurant contribution is defined as company-operated restaurant revenue less company restaurant expenses. Restaurant contribution margin is defined as restaurant contribution as a percentage of net company-operated restaurant revenue. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are supplemental measures of operating performance of our restaurants and our calculations thereof may not be comparable to those reported by other companies. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Management believes that restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are important tools for investors because they are widely-used metrics within the restaurant industry to evaluate restaurant-level productivity, efficiency and performance. Management uses restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin as key metrics to evaluate the profitability of incremental sales at our restaurants, to evaluate our restaurant performance across periods and to evaluate our restaurant financial performance compared with our competitors. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a discussion of restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin and other key performance indicators.

The restaurant industry is divided into two segments: full service and limited service. Full service is comprised of the casual dining, mid-scale and fine dining sub-segments. Limited service is comprised of the quick-service restaurant (“QSR”) and fast casual sub-segments. “QSRs” are defined by Technomic as traditional “fast-food” restaurants with average check sizes of $3.00 - $8.00. “Fast casual” is defined by Technomic as a limited or self-service format with average check sizes of $8.00 - $12.00 that offers food prepared to order within a generally more upscale and developed establishment. We refer to ourselves as “QSR+” because we believe that we offer the food and dining experience of a fast-casual restaurant and also offer the speed, value and convenience of a QSR.

Certain monetary amounts, percentages and other figures included in this prospectus have been subject to rounding adjustments. Percentage amounts included in this prospectus have not in all cases been calculated on the basis of such rounded figures but on the basis of such amounts prior to rounding. For this reason, percentage amounts in this prospectus may vary from those obtained by performing the same calculations using the figures in our consolidated financial statements. Certain other amounts that appear in this prospectus may not sum due to rounding.

Unless otherwise indicated, the information presented in this prospectus assumes (i) an initial public offering price of $         per share of common stock, which is the midpoint of the estimated range of the price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and (ii) that the underwriters will not exercise their overallotment option.

Unless otherwise indicated, all references to “dollars” and “$” in this prospectus are to, and amounts are presented in, U.S. dollars.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, financial and operating data in this prospectus reflect the consolidated business and operations of Holdings and its subsidiaries.

 

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TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS

We own or have rights to trademarks or trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business, including our corporate names, logos and website names. In addition, we own or have the rights to copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights that protect the content of our products and the formulations for such products. Solely for convenience, some of the copyrights, trade names and trademarks referred to in this prospectus are listed without their ^©, ^® and ™ symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to our copyrights, trade names and trademarks.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as other information contained in this prospectus, including our financial statements and related notes to those statements, before deciding to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow, in which case the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

The recent economic crisis adversely impacted our business and financial results and a prolonged economic downturn could materially affect us in the future.

The restaurant industry is dependent upon consumer discretionary spending. The recession from late 2007 to mid-2009 reduced consumer confidence to historic lows, impacting the public’s ability and desire to spend discretionary dollars as a result of job losses, home foreclosures, significantly reduced home values, investment losses, bankruptcies and reduced access to credit, resulting in lower levels of customer traffic and lower average check sizes in our restaurants. As a result, our losses during the economic crisis increased significantly due, to a large extent, to lower revenues and impairment charges. If the economy experiences another significant decline, our business, results of operations and ability to comply with the terms of our senior secured credit facilities could be materially adversely affected and may result in a deceleration of the number and timing of new restaurant openings by us and our franchisees. Deterioration in customer traffic or a reduction in average check size would negatively impact our revenues and our profitability and could result in further reductions in staff levels, additional impairment charges and potential restaurant closures.

We are vulnerable to changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions that could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

Food service businesses depend on consumer discretionary spending and are often affected by changes in consumer tastes, national, regional and local economic conditions and demographic trends. Factors such as traffic patterns, weather, fuel prices, local demographics and the type, number and locations of competing restaurants may adversely affect the performances of individual locations. In addition, economic downturns, inflation or increased food or energy costs could harm the restaurant industry in general and our locations in particular. Adverse changes in any of these factors could reduce consumer traffic or impose practical limits on pricing that could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. There can be no assurance that consumers will continue to regard chicken-based or Mexican-inspired food favorably or that we will be able to develop new products that appeal to consumer preferences. Our business, financial condition and results of operations depend in part on our ability to anticipate, identify and respond to changing consumer preferences and economic conditions.

Our business is geographically concentrated in the greater Los Angeles area, and we could be negatively affected by conditions specific to that region.

Our company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 80% of our revenue in fiscal 2013 and approximately 81% in fiscal 2012. During the recent economic crisis and recession, our business was materially adversely affected by a significant decrease in revenues from these restaurants due to adverse economic conditions in Southern California, including declining home prices and increased foreclosures. Adverse changes in demographic, unemployment, economic or regulatory conditions in the greater Los Angeles area or the State of California, including but not limited to enforcement policies for and changes in immigration law, have had and may continue to have material adverse effects on our business. As of December 2013, unemployment in California was 8.3% compared to the U.S. unemployment rate of 6.7%. We believe increases in unemployment will have a negative impact on traffic in our restaurants. As a result of our concentration in this market, we have been disproportionately affected by these adverse economic conditions compared to other national chain restaurants.

Furthermore, prolonged or severe inclement weather could affect our sales at restaurants in locations that experience such conditions, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. It is possible that weather conditions may impact our business more than other businesses in our industry because of our significant concentration of restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area. We may also suffer unexpected losses resulting

 

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from natural disasters or other catastrophic events affecting these areas, such as earthquakes, fires, droughts, local strikes, terrorist attacks, increases in energy prices, explosions, or other natural or man-made disasters. The incidence and severity of catastrophes are inherently unpredictable and our losses from catastrophes could be substantial.

Our growth strategy depends in part on opening new restaurants in existing and new markets and expanding our franchise system. We may be unsuccessful in opening new restaurants or establishing new markets, which could adversely affect our growth.

One of the key means to achieving our growth strategy will be through opening new restaurants and operating those restaurants on a profitable basis. We opened two new restaurants in fiscal 2013 and plan to open an estimated eight to 10 new restaurants in fiscal 2014. Our franchisees opened five new restaurants in fiscal 2013 and plan to open an estimated four to six new restaurants in fiscal 2014. Our ability to open new restaurants is dependent upon a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including our or our franchisees’ ability to:

 

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identify available and suitable restaurant sites;

 

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compete for restaurant sites;

 

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reach acceptable agreements regarding the lease or purchase of locations;

 

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obtain or have available the financing required to acquire and operate a restaurant, including construction and opening costs;

 

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respond to unforeseen engineering or environmental problems with leased premises;

 

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avoid the impact of inclement weather, natural disasters and other calamities;

 

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hire, train and retain the skilled management and other employees necessary to meet staffing needs;

 

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obtain, in a timely manner and for an acceptable cost, required licenses, permits and regulatory approvals and respond effectively to any changes in local, state or federal law and regulations that adversely affect our and our franchisees’ costs or ability to open new restaurants; and

 

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control construction and equipment cost increases for new restaurants.

There is no guarantee that a sufficient number of suitable restaurant sites will be available in desirable areas or on terms that are acceptable to us in order to achieve our growth plan. If we are unable to open new restaurants or sign new franchisees, or if restaurant openings are significantly delayed, our earnings or revenue growth could be adversely affected and our business negatively affected as we expect a portion of our growth to come from new locations.

As part of our longer term growth strategy, we may enter into geographic markets in which we have little or no prior operating or franchising experience through company-operated restaurant growth and through franchise development agreements. The challenges of entering new markets include: difficulties in hiring experienced personnel; unfamiliarity with local real estate markets and demographics; consumer unfamiliarity with our brand; and different competitive and economic conditions, consumer tastes and discretionary spending patterns that are more difficult to predict or satisfy than in our existing markets. Consumer recognition of our brand has been important in the success of company-operated and franchised restaurants in our existing markets. In addition, restaurants we open in new markets may take longer to reach expected sales and profit levels on a consistent basis and may have higher construction, occupancy or operating costs than restaurants we open in existing markets, thereby affecting our overall profitability. Any failure on our part to recognize or respond to these challenges may adversely affect the success of any new restaurants. Expanding our franchise system could require the implementation, expense and successful management of enhanced business support systems, management information systems and financial controls as well as additional staffing, franchise support and capital expenditures and working capital.

At the end of fiscal 2009, we had 21 system-wide restaurants, all originally developed by franchisees, open east of the Rockies. However, by 2012, all of these restaurants had been closed. We may encounter similar issues with our current growth strategy, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

 

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Due to brand recognition and logistical synergies, as part of our growth strategy, we also intend to open new restaurants in areas where we have existing restaurants. The operating results and comparable restaurant sales for our restaurants could be adversely affected due to close proximity with our other restaurants and market saturation.

Changes in food and supply costs, especially for chicken, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our profitability depends in part on our ability to anticipate and react to changes in food and supply costs. We are susceptible to increases in food costs as a result of factors beyond our control, such as general economic conditions, seasonal economic fluctuations, weather conditions, global demand, food safety concerns, infectious diseases, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar, product recalls and government regulations. The costs of many basic foods for humans and animals, including corn, wheat, corn flour and other flour, rice and cooking oil, have increased markedly in recent years, resulting in upward pricing pressures on almost all of our raw ingredients including chicken and increasing our food costs. Food prices for a number of our key ingredients escalated markedly at various points in fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013, and we expect that there will be additional pricing pressures on some of those ingredients in fiscal 2014. Weather related issues, such as freezes or drought, may also lead to temporary spikes in the prices of some ingredients such as produce or meats. Any increase in the prices of the ingredients most critical to our menu, such as chicken, corn, cheese, avocados, beans, rice and tomatoes, would adversely affect our operating results. Alternatively, in the event of cost increases with respect to one or more of our raw ingredients, we may choose to temporarily suspend serving menu items, such as guacamole or one or more of our salsas, rather than paying the increased cost for the ingredients. Any such changes to our available menu may negatively impact our restaurant traffic, business and comparable restaurant sales during the shortage and thereafter.

Our principal food product is chicken. In the first thirteen weeks of fiscal 2014 and in fiscal 2013, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011, the cost of chicken included in our product cost was approximately 12.5%, 13.0%, 12.7% and 12.7%, respectively, of our revenue from company-operated restaurants. Material increases in the cost of chicken could materially adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. Changes in the cost of chicken can result from a number of factors, including seasonality, increases in the cost of grain, disease and other factors that affect availability and greater international demand for domestic chicken products. A major driver in the price of corn, which is the primary feed source for chicken, has been the increasing demand for corn by the ethanol industry as an alternative fuel source, as most ethanol plants in the United States use corn as the primary source of grain to make ethanol. This increased demand on the nation’s corn crop has had and may continue to have an adverse impact on chicken prices. We currently do not engage in futures contracts or other financial risk management strategies with respect to potential price fluctuations in the cost of chicken or other inputs, food and supplies, which we purchase at prevailing market or contracted prices. We have implemented menu price increases in the past to significantly offset the higher prices of chicken, due to competitive pressures and compressed profit margins. We may not be able to offset all or any portion of increased food and supply cost through higher menu prices in the future. If we implement further menu price increases in the future to protect our margins, average check size and restaurant traffic could be materially adversely affected, at both company-operated and franchised restaurants.

Negative publicity could reduce sales at some or all of our restaurants.

We are, from time to time, faced with negative publicity relating to food quality, the safety, sanitation and welfare of chicken, which is our principal food product, restaurant facilities, customer complaints or litigation alleging illness or injury, health inspection scores, integrity of our or our suppliers’ food processing and other policies, practices and procedures, employee relationships or other matters at one or more of our restaurants. Negative publicity may adversely affect us, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are held to be responsible. In addition, the negative impact of adverse publicity relating to one restaurant may extend far beyond the restaurant involved to affect some or all of our other restaurants, including our franchised restaurants. The risk of negative publicity is particularly great with respect to our franchised restaurants because we are limited in the manner in which we can regulate them, especially on a real-time basis. A similar risk exists with respect to food service businesses unrelated to us, if customers mistakenly associate such unrelated businesses with our operations. Employee claims against us based on, among other things, wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination may also create not only legal and financial liability but negative publicity that could adversely affect us and divert our financial and management resources that would otherwise be used to benefit the future performance of our operations. A significant increase in the number of these claims or an increase in the number of successful claims could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

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Food safety and quality concerns may negatively impact our business and profitability, our internal operational controls and standards may not always be met and our employees may not always act professionally, responsibly and in our and our customers best interests. Any possible instances of food-borne illness could reduce our restaurant sales.

Incidents or reports of food- or water-borne illness or other food safety issues, food contamination or tampering, employee hygiene and cleanliness failures or improper employee conduct at our restaurants could lead to product liability or other claims. Such incidents or reports could negatively affect our brand and reputation as well as our business, revenues and profits. Similar incidents or reports occurring at quick service restaurants unrelated to us could likewise create negative publicity, which could negatively impact consumer behavior towards us.

We cannot guarantee to consumers that our internal controls and training will be fully effective in preventing all food-borne illnesses. Furthermore, our reliance on third-party food processors makes it difficult to monitor food safety compliance and may increase the risk that food-borne illness would affect multiple locations rather than single restaurants. Some food-borne illness incidents could be caused by third-party food suppliers and transporters outside of our control. New illnesses resistant to our current precautions may develop in the future, or diseases with long incubation periods could arise, that could give rise to claims or allegations on a retroactive basis. One or more instances of food-borne illness in one of our company-operated or franchised restaurants could negatively affect sales at all of our restaurants if highly publicized. This risk exists even if it were later determined that the illness was wrongly attributed to one of our restaurants. A number of other restaurant chains have experienced incidents related to food-borne illnesses that have had material adverse impacts on their operations, and we cannot assure you that we could avoid a similar impact upon the occurrence of a similar incident at one of our restaurants. Additionally, even if food-borne illnesses were not identified at El Pollo Loco restaurants, our restaurant sales could be adversely affected if instances of food-borne illnesses at other restaurant chains were highly publicized. In addition, our restaurant sales could be adversely affected by publicity regarding other high-profile illnesses such as avian flu that customers may associate with our food products.

We rely on only one company to distribute substantially all of our products to company-operated and franchised restaurants, and on a limited number of companies to supply chicken. Failure to receive timely deliveries of food or other supplies could result in a loss of revenue and materially and adversely impact our operations.

Our and our franchisees’ ability to maintain consistent quality menu items and prices significantly depends upon our ability to acquire fresh food products, including the highest quality chicken and related items, from reliable sources in accordance with our specifications on a timely basis. Shortages or interruptions in the supply of fresh food products caused by unanticipated demand, problems in production or distribution, contamination of food products, an outbreak of poultry diseases, inclement weather or other conditions could materially adversely affect the availability, quality and cost of ingredients, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We have contracts with a limited number of suppliers for the chicken, other food and supplies for our restaurants. In addition, one company distributes substantially all of the products we receive from suppliers to company-operated and franchised restaurants. If that distributor or any supplier fails to perform as anticipated or seeks to terminate agreements with us, or if there is any disruption in any of our supply or distribution relationships for any reason, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. If we or our franchisees temporarily close a restaurant or remove popular items from a restaurant’s menu, that restaurant may experience a significant reduction in revenue during the time affected by the shortage and thereafter if our customers change their dining habits as a result.

We have a history of net losses and may incur losses in the future.

We have incurred net losses in each of the last seven fiscal years. We may continue to incur net losses in the future and we cannot assure you that we will achieve or sustain profitability.

The failure to comply with our debt covenants or the volatile credit and capital markets could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

Our ability to manage our debt is dependent on our level of positive cash flow from company-operated and franchised restaurants, net of costs. The recent economic downturn negatively impacted our cash flows. Credit and capital markets can be volatile, which could make it more difficult for us to refinance our existing debt or to obtain

 

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additional debt or equity financings in the future. Such constraints could increase our costs of borrowing and could restrict our access to other potential sources of future liquidity. Our failure to comply with the covenants in our senior secured credit facilities or to have sufficient liquidity to make interest and other payments required by our debt could result in a default of such debt and acceleration of our borrowings which would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Our substantial level of indebtedness could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have substantial debt service obligations. At March 26, 2014, our total debt was approximately $288.8 million (including capital lease obligations), which represented approximately 84.2% of our total capitalization, and we had $15.0 million of credit available under our revolving credit facility, which was reduced by approximately $7.3 million from outstanding letters of credit. At March 26, 2014, we had no other borrowings against our revolving credit facility. If this offering and the use of proceeds described herein had been completed on March 26, 2014, we would have had total debt of approximately $         (including capital lease obligations), which would have represented approximately     % of our total capitalization.

Our high level of indebtedness could have significant effects on our business, such as:

 

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limiting our ability to borrow additional amounts to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our growth strategy and other purposes;

 

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requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to pay principal and interest on our debt, which would reduce availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, execution of our growth strategy and other general corporate purposes;

 

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making us more vulnerable to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions, in government regulation and in our business by limiting our ability to plan for and react to changing conditions;

 

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placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared with our competitors that have less debt; and

 

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exposing us to risks inherent in interest rate fluctuations because our borrowings are at variable rates of interest, which could result in higher interest expense in the event of increases in interest rates.

In addition, we may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow from our operations to repay our indebtedness when it becomes due and to meet our other cash needs. If we are not able to pay our debts as they become due, we will be required to pursue one or more alternative strategies, such as selling assets, refinancing or restructuring our indebtedness or selling additional debt or equity securities. We may not be able to refinance our debt or sell additional debt or equity securities or our assets on favorable terms, if at all, and if we must sell our assets, it may negatively affect our ability to generate revenue.

Our senior secured credit facilities contain a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, EPL’s ability to (i) incur additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock; (ii) create liens on assets; (iii) engage in mergers or consolidations; (iv) sell assets; (v) make investments, loans or advances; (vi) make certain acquisitions; (vii) engage in certain transactions with affiliates; (viii) authorize or pay dividends; and (ix) change EPL’s lines of business or fiscal year. In addition, our senior secured credit facilities require EPL to maintain, on a consolidated basis, a minimum interest coverage ratio and not to exceed a maximum total leverage ratio. Our ability to borrow under our revolving credit facility depends on our compliance with this test. Events beyond our control, including changes in general economic and business conditions, may affect our ability to meet this test. We cannot assure you that we will meet this test in the future, or that the lenders will waive any failure to meet this test.

 

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We may not be able to compete successfully with other quick service and fast casual restaurants. Intense competition in the restaurant industry could make it more difficult to expand our business and could also have a negative impact on our operating results if customers favor our competitors or we are forced to change our pricing and other marketing strategies.

The food service industry, and particularly its quick service and fast casual segments, is intensely competitive. In addition, the greater Los Angeles area, the primary market in which we compete, consists of what we believe to be the most competitive Mexican-inspired quick service and fast casual market in the United States. We expect competition in this market and each of our other markets to continue to be intense because consumer trends are favoring limited service restaurants that offer healthier menu items made with better quality products and many limited service restaurants are responding to these trends. Competition in our industry is primarily based on price, convenience, quality of service, brand recognition, restaurant location and type and quality of food. If our company-operated and franchised restaurants cannot compete successfully with other quick service and fast casual restaurants in new and existing markets, we could lose customers and our revenue could decline. Our company-operated and franchised restaurants compete with national and regional quick service and fast casual restaurant chains for customers, restaurant locations and qualified management and other staff. Compared with us, some of our competitors have substantially greater financial and other resources, have been in business longer, have greater brand recognition or are better established in the markets where our restaurants are located or are planned to be located. Any of these competitive factors may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our marketing programs may not be successful, and our new menu items, advertising campaigns and restaurant designs and remodels may not generate increased sales or profits.

We incur costs and expend other resources in our marketing efforts on new menu items, advertising campaigns and restaurant designs and remodels to raise brand awareness and attract and retain customers. These initiatives may not be successful, resulting in expenses incurred without the benefit of higher revenues. Additionally, some of our competitors have greater financial resources, which enable them to spend significantly more on marketing and advertising and other initiatives than we are able to. Should our competitors increase spending on marketing and advertising and other initiatives or our marketing funds decrease for any reason, or should our advertising, promotions, new menu items and restaurant designs and remodels be less effective than our competitors, there could be a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

The challenging economic environment may affect our franchisees, with adverse consequences to us.

We rely in part on our franchisees and the manner in which they operate their locations to develop and promote our business. As of December 25, 2013, our top 10 franchisees operated over 62% of our franchised restaurants and two franchisees (the “Significant Franchisees”) operated approximately 33% of our franchised restaurants. Due to the continuing challenging economic environment it is possible that some franchisees could file for bankruptcy or become delinquent in their payments to us, which could have significant adverse impacts on our business due to loss or delay in payments of royalties, information technology (“IT”) support service fees, contributions to our advertising funds, and other fees. Our top 10 franchisees accounted for approximately 57% of our total franchise revenue in fiscal 2013, and the Significant Franchisees accounted for approximately 29% of total franchise revenue in fiscal 2013. Bankruptcies by our franchisees could prevent us from terminating their franchise agreements so that we can offer their territories to other franchisees, negatively impact our market share and operating results as we may have fewer well-performing restaurants, and adversely impact our ability to attract new franchisees.

As of March 26, 2014, we had executed development agreements that represent commitments to open eighteen franchised restaurants at various dates through 2018. Although we have developed criteria to evaluate and screen prospective franchisees, we cannot be certain that the franchisees we select will have the business acumen or financial resources necessary to open and operate successful franchises in their franchise areas, and state franchise laws may limit our ability to terminate or modify these franchise arrangements. Moreover, franchisees may not successfully operate restaurants in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements, or may not hire and train qualified managers and other restaurant personnel. The failure of franchisees to open and operate franchises successfully could have a material adverse effect on us, our reputation, our brand and our ability to attract prospective franchisees and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

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Franchisees may not have access to the financial or management resources that they need to open the restaurants contemplated by their agreements with us, or be able to find suitable sites on which to develop them. Franchisees may not be able to negotiate acceptable lease or purchase terms for restaurant sites, obtain the necessary permits and government approvals or meet construction schedules. Any of these problems could slow our growth and reduce our franchise revenue. Additionally, our franchisees typically depend on financing from banks and other financial institutions, which may not always be available to them, in order to construct and open new restaurants. For these reasons, franchisees operating under development agreements may not be able to meet the new restaurant opening dates required under those agreements. Also, we sublease certain restaurants to some existing California franchisees. If any such franchisees cannot meet their financial obligations under their subleases, or otherwise fail to honor or default under the terms of their subleases, we would be financially obligated under a master lease and could be materially adversely affected.

In February 2011, one franchisee filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Central District of California. The resulting reorganization was completed in March 2013, and involved the sale of seven of the franchisee’s 13 restaurants located in the Central Valley of California to new owners. All 13 restaurants continued to conduct business throughout the reorganization. The franchisee retained ownership of six of the 13 restaurants owned by it prior to the bankruptcy, but closed one of those restaurants in August 2013, due to its inability to renew the lease. The franchisee has the option to relocate that restaurant to a new site within a two-mile radius of the closed location or continue to pay monthly royalties pursuant to the terms of a settlement agreement entered into as part of the reorganization.

Another franchisee with two restaurants was placed in receivership in March 2013. One restaurant owned by that franchisee prior to being placed in receivership was purchased by one of our largest franchisees in January 2014, and the sale of the second restaurant to a new owner is currently in progress. Both of the restaurants have remained open during this process.

We have limited control with respect to the operations of our franchisees, which could have a negative impact on our business.

Franchisees are independent business operators and are not our employees and we do not exercise control over the day-to-day operations of their restaurants. We provide training and support to franchisees, and set and monitor operational standards, but the quality of franchised restaurants may be diminished by any number of factors beyond our control. Consequently, franchisees may not successfully operate restaurants in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements, or may not hire and train qualified managers and other restaurant personnel. If franchisees do not operate to our expectations, our image and reputation, and the image and reputation of other franchisees, may suffer materially and system-wide sales could decline significantly.

Franchisees, as independent business operators, may from time to time disagree with us and our strategies regarding the business or our interpretation of our respective rights and obligations under the franchise agreement. This may lead to disputes with our franchisees and we expect such disputes to occur from time to time in the future as we continue to offer franchises. To the extent we have such disputes, the attention, time and financial resources of our management and our franchisees will be diverted from our restaurants, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our self-insurance programs may expose us to significant and unexpected costs and losses.

We currently maintain employee health insurance coverage on a self-insured basis. We do maintain stop loss coverage which sets a limit on our liability for both individual and aggregate claim costs.

We currently record a liability for our estimated cost of claims incurred and unpaid as of each balance sheet date. Our estimated liability is recorded on an undiscounted basis and includes a number of significant assumptions and factors, including historical trends, expected costs per claim, actuarial assumptions and current economic conditions. Our history of claims activity for all lines of coverage is closely monitored and liabilities are adjusted as warranted based on changing circumstances. It is possible, however, that our actual liabilities may exceed our estimates of loss. We may also experience an unexpectedly large number of claims that result in costs or liabilities in excess of our projections and therefore we may be required to record additional expenses. For these and other reasons, our self-insurance reserves could prove to be inadequate, resulting in liabilities in excess of our available insurance and self-insurance. If a successful claim is made against us and is not covered by our insurance or exceeds our policy limits, our business may be negatively and materially impacted.

 

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Information technology system failures or breaches of our network security could interrupt our operations and adversely affect our business.

We rely on our computer systems and network infrastructure across our operations, including point-of-sale processing at our restaurants. Our operations depend upon our ability to protect our computer equipment and systems against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or other catastrophic events, as well as from internal and external security breaches, viruses and other disruptive problems. Any damage or failure of our computer systems or network infrastructure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business and subject us to litigation or to actions by regulatory authorities.

If we are unable to protect our customers’ credit and debit card data, we could be exposed to data loss, litigation, liability and reputational damage.

In connection with credit and debit card sales, we transmit confidential credit and debit card information by way of secure private retail networks. Although we use private networks, third parties may have the technology or know-how to breach the security of the customer information transmitted in connection with credit and debit card sales, and our security measures and those of our technology vendors may not effectively prohibit others from obtaining improper access to this information. If a person were able to circumvent these security measures, he or she could destroy or steal valuable information or disrupt our operations. Any security breach could expose us to risks of data loss, litigation and liability and could seriously disrupt our operations and any resulting negative publicity could significantly harm our reputation.

The failure to enforce and maintain our trademarks and protect our other intellectual property could materially adversely affect our business, including our ability to establish and maintain brand awareness.

We have registered El Pollo Loco^®, Pollo Bowl^®, The Crazy Chicken^® and certain other names used by our restaurants as trademarks or service marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in approximately 42 foreign countries. Our current brand campaign, Crazy You Can Taste™, has also been approved for registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, the El Pollo Loco logo, website name and address and Facebook and Twitter accounts are our intellectual property. The success of our business strategy depends on our continued ability to use our existing trademarks and service marks in order to increase brand awareness and further develop our branded products. If our efforts to protect our intellectual property are not adequate, or if any third party misappropriates or infringes on our intellectual property, whether in print, on the Internet or through other media, the value of our brands may be harmed, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, including the failure of our brands and branded products to achieve and maintain market acceptance. There can be no assurance that all of the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property in the United States and in foreign countries will be adequate. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States.

We maintain the recipe for our chicken marinade, as well as certain proprietary standards, specifications and operating procedures, as trade secrets or confidential proprietary information. We may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our trade secrets or proprietary information, despite the existence of confidentiality agreements and other measures. While we try to ensure that the quality of our brands and branded products is maintained by all of our franchisees, we cannot be certain that these franchisees will not take actions that adversely affect the value of our intellectual property or reputation. If any of our trade secrets or proprietary information were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

We depend on our board of directors, executive officers and key employees.

We rely upon the accumulated knowledge, skills and experience of the members of our board of directors, our executive officers and our key employees. Our executive officers have cumulative experience of 11 years with us and 95 years in the food service industry. If they were to leave us or become incapacitated, we might suffer in our planning and execution of business strategy and operations, impacting our brand and financial results. We also do not maintain any key man life insurance policies for any of our employees.

 

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Matters relating to employment and labor law may adversely affect our business.

Various federal and state labor laws govern our relationships with our employees and affect operating costs. These laws include employee classifications as exempt or non-exempt, minimum wage requirements, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements and other wage and benefit requirements for employees classified as non-exempt. Significant additional government regulations or increases in minimum wages or mandated benefits such as health insurance could materially affect our business, financial condition, operating results or cash flow.

We are also subject in the ordinary course of business to employee claims against us based, among other things, on discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, or violation of wage and labor laws. These claims may divert our financial and management resources that would otherwise be used to benefit our operations. The ongoing expense of any resulting lawsuits, and any substantial settlement payment or damage award against us, could adversely affect our business, brand image, employee recruitment, financial condition, operating results or cash flows.

Restaurant companies have been the target of class action lawsuits and other proceedings alleging, among other things, violations of federal and state workplace and employment laws. Proceedings of this nature are costly, divert management attention and, if successful, could result in our payment of substantial damages or settlement costs.

Our business is subject to the risk of litigation by employees, consumers, suppliers, stockholders or others through private actions, class actions, administrative proceedings, regulatory actions or other litigation. The outcome of litigation, particularly class action and regulatory actions, is difficult to assess or quantify. In recent years, restaurant companies, including us, have been subject to lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment conditions, discrimination and similar matters. A number of these lawsuits have resulted in the payment of substantial damages by the defendants. Similar lawsuits have been instituted from time to time alleging violations of various federal and state wage and hour laws regarding, among other things, employee meal deductions, overtime eligibility of managers and failure to pay for all hours worked. In the past we have been a party to wage and hour class action lawsuits and are currently a party to such a lawsuit on behalf of a purported class. See “Business—Legal Proceedings.”

Occasionally, our customers file complaints or lawsuits against us alleging that we are responsible for some illness or injury they suffered at or after a visit to one of our restaurants, including actions seeking damages resulting from food-borne illness or accidents in our restaurants. We are also subject to a variety of other claims from third parties arising in the ordinary course of our business, including contract claims. The restaurant industry has also been subject to a growing number of claims that the menus and actions of restaurant chains have led to the obesity of certain of their customers. We may also be subject to lawsuits from our employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or others alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment conditions, discrimination and similar matters.

Regardless of whether any claims against us are valid or whether we are liable, claims may be expensive to defend and may divert time and money away from our operations. In addition, they may generate negative publicity, which could reduce customer traffic and sales. Although we maintain what we believe to be adequate levels of insurance, insurance may not be available at all or in sufficient amounts to cover any liabilities with respect to these or other matters. A judgment or other liability in excess of our insurance coverage for any claims or any adverse publicity resulting from claims could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

If we or our franchisees face labor shortages or increased labor costs, our results of operations and our growth could be adversely affected.

Labor is a primary component in the cost of operating our company-operated and franchised restaurants. If we or our franchisees face labor shortages or increased labor costs because of increased competition for employees, higher employee-turnover rates or increases in the federally-mandated or state-mandated minimum wage or other employee benefits costs (including costs associated with health insurance coverage or workers’ compensation insurance), our operating expenses could increase and our growth could be adversely affected.

We have a substantial number of hourly employees who are paid wage rates at or based on the applicable federal or state minimum wage and increases in the minimum wage will increase our labor costs. The State of California

 

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(where most of our restaurants are located) has had a minimum wage of $8.00 per hour since January 1, 2008, which is scheduled to rise to $9.00 on July 1, 2014, and to $10.00 on January 1, 2016. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009. Either federally-mandated or state-mandated minimum wages may be raised in the future. We may be unable to increase our menu prices in order to pass future increased labor costs on to our customers, in which case our margins would be negatively affected.

In addition, our success depends in part upon our and our franchisees’ ability to attract, motivate and retain a sufficient number of well-qualified restaurant operators, management personnel and other employees. Qualified individuals needed to fill these positions can be in short supply in some geographic areas. In addition, limited service restaurants have traditionally experienced relatively high employee turnover rates. Although we have not yet experienced any significant problems in recruiting or retaining employees, our and our franchisees’ ability to recruit and retain such individuals may delay the planned openings of new restaurants or result in higher employee turnover in existing restaurants, which could increase our and our franchisees’ labor costs and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If we or our franchisees are unable to recruit and retain sufficiently qualified individuals, our business and our growth could be adversely affected. Competition for these employees could require us or our franchisees to pay higher wages, which could also result in higher labor costs.

We are locked into long-term and non-cancelable leases and may be unable to renew leases at the end of their terms.

Many of our restaurant leases are non-cancelable and typically have initial terms up to 20 years and up to three renewal terms of five years that we may exercise at our option. Even if we close a restaurant, we may remain committed to perform our obligations under the applicable lease, which could include, among other things, payment of the base rent for the balance of the lease term. In addition, in connection with leases for restaurants that we will continue to operate, we may, at the end of the lease term and any renewal period for a restaurant, be unable to renew the lease without substantial additional cost, if at all. As a result, we may close or relocate the restaurant, which could subject us to construction and other costs and risks. Additionally, the revenue and profit, if any, generated at a relocated restaurant may not equal the revenue and profit generated at the existing restaurant.

We and our franchisees are subject to extensive government regulations that could result in claims leading to increased costs and restrict our ability to operate or sell franchises.

We and our franchisees are subject to extensive government regulation at the federal, state and local government levels. These include, but are not limited to, regulations relating to the preparation and sale of food, zoning and building codes, franchising, land use and employee, health, sanitation and safety matters. We and our franchisees are required to obtain and maintain a wide variety of governmental licenses, permits and approvals. Difficulty or failure in obtaining them in the future could result in delaying or canceling the opening of new restaurants. Local authorities may suspend or deny renewal of our governmental licenses if they determine that our operations do not meet the standards for initial grant or renewal. This risk would be even higher if there were a major change in the licensing requirements affecting our types of restaurants.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (the “PPACA”) requires employers such as us to provide adequate and affordable health insurance for all qualifying employees or pay a monthly per-employee fee or penalty for non-compliance. We are evaluating the impact the new law will have on our operations, and although we cannot predict with certainty the financial impact of the legislation, the law’s individual mandate may increase the number of employees taking part in our health insurance program, which could impact our results of operations beginning in 2015.

We are also subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission and subject to state laws that govern the offer, sale, renewal and termination of franchises and our relationship with our franchisees. The failure to comply with these laws and regulations in any jurisdiction or to obtain required approvals could result in a ban or temporary suspension on franchise sales, fines or the requirement that we make a rescission offer to franchisees, any of which could affect our development agreements for new restaurants that we expect to open in the future and thus could materially adversely affect our business and operating results. Any such failure could also subject us to liability to our franchisees.

We are increasingly subject to environmental regulations, which may increase our cost of doing business and affect the manner in which we operate. Environmental regulations could increase the level of our taxation and future regulations could impose restrictions or increase the costs associated with food, food packaging and other supplies,

 

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transportation costs and utility costs. Complying with environmental regulations may cause our results of operations to suffer. We cannot predict what environmental regulations or legislation will be enacted in the future, how existing or future environmental laws will be administered or applied, or the level of costs that we may incur to comply with, or satisfy claims relating to, such laws and regulations.

Legislation and regulations requiring the display and provision of nutritional information for our menu offerings, and new information or attitudes regarding diet and health or adverse opinions about the health effects of consuming our menu offerings, could affect consumer preferences and negatively impact our results of operations.

Government regulation and consumer eating habits may impact our business as a result of changes in attitudes regarding diet and health or new information regarding the health effects of consuming our menu offerings. These changes have resulted in, and may continue to result in, the enactment of laws and regulations that impact the ingredients and nutritional content of our menu offerings, or laws and regulations requiring us to disclose the nutritional content of our food offerings.

The PPACA establishes a uniform, federal requirement for certain restaurants to post certain nutritional information on their menus. Specifically, the PPACA amended the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations operating under the same name and offering substantially the same menus to publish the total number of calories of standard menu items on menus and menu boards, along with a statement that puts this calorie information in the context of a total daily calorie intake. The PPACA also requires covered restaurants to provide to consumers, upon request, a written summary of detailed nutritional information for each standard menu item, and to provide a statement on menus and menu boards about the availability of this information. The PPACA further permits the United States Food and Drug Administration to require covered restaurants to make additional nutrient disclosures, such as disclosure of trans-fat content. An unfavorable report on, or reaction to, our menu ingredients, the size of our portions or the nutritional content of our menu items could negatively influence the demand for our offerings.

Furthermore, a number of states, counties and cities have enacted menu labeling laws requiring multi-unit restaurant operators to disclose certain nutritional information to customers, or have enacted legislation restricting the use of certain types of ingredients in restaurants. California, our largest market, is one of these, although its menu labeling law has been superseded by the PPACA.

While we believe our food generally to be healthier than that of our peers, customers may disagree or change their dining habits to avoid QSR-like restaurants altogether.

Compliance with current and future laws and regulations regarding the ingredients and nutritional content of our menu items may be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, if consumer health regulations or consumer eating habits change significantly, we may be required to modify or discontinue certain menu items, and we may experience higher costs associated with the implementation of those changes. Additionally, some government authorities are increasing regulations regarding trans-fats and sodium, which may require us to limit or eliminate trans-fats and sodium in our menu offerings, switch to higher cost ingredients or may hinder our ability to operate in certain markets. Some jurisdictions have banned certain cooking ingredients, such as trans-fats, which a small number of our ingredients contain in trace amounts, or have discussed banning certain products, such as large sodas. Removal of these products and ingredients from our menus could affect product tastes, customer satisfaction levels, and sales volumes, whereas if we fail to comply with these laws or regulations, our business could experience a material adverse effect.

We cannot make any assurances regarding our ability to effectively respond to changes in consumer health perceptions or our ability to successfully implement the nutrient content disclosure requirements and to adapt our menu offerings to trends in eating habits. The imposition of additional menu-labeling laws could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial position, as well as on the restaurant industry in general.

We may become subject to liabilities arising from environmental laws that could likely increase our operating expenses and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We are subject to federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances that:

 

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govern activities or operations that may have adverse environmental effects, such as discharges to air and water, as well as waste handling and disposal practices for solid and hazardous wastes; and

 

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impose liability for the costs of cleaning up, and damage resulting from, sites of past spills, disposals or other releases of hazardous materials.

In particular, under applicable environmental laws, we may be responsible for remediation of environmental conditions and may be subject to associated liabilities, including liabilities for clean-up costs and personal injury or property damage, relating to our restaurants and the land on which our restaurants are located, regardless of whether we lease or own the restaurants or land in question and regardless of whether such environmental conditions were created by us or by a prior owner or tenant. If we are found liable for the costs of remediation of contamination at any of our properties, our operating expenses would likely increase and our results of operations would be materially adversely affected. See “Business—Environmental Matters.”

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

If the ownership of our common stock continues to be highly concentrated, it may prevent you and other minority stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions and may result in conflicts of interest.

Following the completion of this offering, Trimaran and Freeman Spogli will indirectly beneficially own approximately     % and     %, respectively, of our outstanding common stock, or     % and     %, respectively, if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is fully exercised. As a result, Trimaran and Freeman Spogli will indirectly beneficially own shares sufficient for majority votes over all matters requiring stockholder votes, including: the election of directors; mergers, consolidations and acquisitions; the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other decisions affecting our capital structure; amendments to our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; and our winding up and dissolution. While LLC owns a majority of our common stock, Freeman Spogli will be able to instruct LLC, pursuant to LLC’s operating agreement, to vote in favor of the appointment of one member of our board of directors for so long as they hold 5% of the outstanding membership interests of LLC and Trimaran will be able to instruct LLC, pursuant to LLC’s operating agreement, to vote in favor of the appointment of the remaining members of our board of directors. For a further description of LLC’s limited liability company operating agreement, see “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—LLC Agreement.”

This concentration of ownership may delay, deter or prevent acts that would be favored by our other stockholders. The interests of Trimaran and Freeman Spogli may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of our other stockholders. This concentration of ownership may also have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control of us. Also, Trimaran and Freeman Spogli may seek to cause us to take courses of action that, in their judgments, could enhance their investments in us, but which might involve risks to our other stockholders or adversely affect us or our other stockholders, including investors in this offering. As a result, the market price of our common stock could decline or stockholders might not receive a premium over the then-current market price of our common stock upon a change in control. In addition, this concentration of share ownership may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock because investors may perceive disadvantages in owning shares in a company with significant stockholders. See “Principal Stockholders” and “Description of Capital Stock—Certain Provisions of Delaware Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions.”

The interests of Trimaran and Freeman Spogli may conflict with ours or yours in the future.

Trimaran and Freeman Spogli engage in a range of investing activities, including investments in restaurants and other consumer-related companies in particular. In the ordinary course of their business activities, Trimaran and Freeman Spogli may engage in activities where their interests conflict with our interests or those of our stockholders. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that none of LLC, any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, members and affiliates, including Trimaran and Freeman Spogli, will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. Trimaran and Freeman Spogli also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. In addition, Trimaran and Freeman Spogli may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures and other transactions that, in their judgment, could enhance their investment in us, even though such transactions might involve risks to you, such as debt financed acquisitions.

 

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As a controlled company, we will not be subject to all of the corporate governance rules of the NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “NASDAQ”).

Upon the listing of our common stock on the NASDAQ in connection with this offering, we will be considered a “controlled company” under the rules of the NASDAQ. Controlled companies are exempt from the NASDAQ’s corporate governance rules requiring that listed companies have (i) a majority of the board of directors consist of “independent” directors under the listing standards of the NASDAQ, (ii) a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors and a written nominating/corporate governance committee charter meeting the NASDAQ’s requirements, and (iii) a compensation committee composed entirely of independent directors and a written compensation committee charter meeting the requirements of the NASDAQ. Following this offering, we intend to use some or all of these exemptions. As a result, we may not have a majority of independent directors, our nomination and corporate governance committee and compensation committee may not consist entirely of independent directors and such committees may not be subject to annual performance evaluations. Accordingly, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NASDAQ. See “Management.”

We are a holding company with no operations and will rely on our operating subsidiaries to provide us with funds necessary to meet our financial obligations and to pay dividends.

We are a holding company with no material direct operations. Our principal assets are the equity interests we indirectly hold in our operating subsidiary, EPL, which owns our operating assets. As a result, we will be dependent on loans, dividends and other payments from EPL, our operating company and indirect wholly owned subsidiary, and Intermediate, our direct wholly owned subsidiary, to generate the funds necessary to meet our financial obligations and to pay dividends on our common stock. Our subsidiaries are legally distinct from us and may be prohibited or restricted from paying dividends, including the restrictions contained in our senior secured credit facilities described below, or otherwise making funds available to us under certain conditions. Although we do not expect to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future, if we are unable to obtain funds from our subsidiaries, we may be unable to, or our board may exercise its discretion not to, pay dividends.

Pursuant to the terms of our senior secured credit facilities, EPL is restricted in its dividend payments to Intermediate and may only make (i) dividends payable solely in EPL’s own common stock or other common equity interests, (ii) payments that permit Intermediate to repurchase or redeem qualified capital stock of Intermediate held by present or former officers, directors or employees, not to exceed $1,000,000 in any fiscal year (with unused amounts carried over to the next fiscal year), and (iii) provided that no default or event of default under the credit facilities has occurred, is continuing, or would result therefrom, dividends limited to various absolute ceiling amounts, including an aggregate amount up to $5,000,000 (shared with Intermediate) for dividends not including those paid pursuant to stock options and other benefit plans. Likewise, Intermediate is restricted in its own dividend payments, with such restrictions including, but not limited to, dividends payable solely in Intermediate’s own common stock or other common equity interests.

We do not anticipate paying any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

We do not expect to declare or pay any cash or other dividends in the foreseeable future on our common stock because we intend to use cash flow generated by operations to grow our business. Our senior secured credit facilities restrict our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock. We may also enter into other credit agreements or other borrowing arrangements in the future that restrict or limit our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock.

The obligations associated with being a public company will require significant resources and management attention, which may divert management from our business operations.

As a result of this offering, we will become subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. As a result, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not previously incur.

 

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Furthermore, the need to establish the corporate infrastructure demanded of a public company may divert management’s attention away from implementing our business strategy, which could prevent us from improving our business, results of operations and financial condition. We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our internal controls and procedures for our financial reporting and accounting systems to meet our reporting obligations as a public company. However, the measures we take may not be sufficient to satisfy our obligations as a public company. If we do not continue to develop and implement the right processes and tools to manage our changing enterprise and maintain our culture, our ability to compete successfully and achieve our business objectives could be impaired, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur to comply with these requirements. We anticipate that these costs will materially increase our general and administrative expenses. The effects of becoming public, including potential changes in our historical business practices, which focused on long-term growth instead of short-term gains, could adversely affect our culture.

For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and of shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We have not made a decision whether to take advantage of any or all of these exemptions. If we do take advantage of any of these exemptions, we do not know if some investors will find our common stock less attractive as a result. The result may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

We could remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years or until the earliest of (a) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion, (b) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (c) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities in the preceding three-year period.

We have not previously been required to assess the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and we may identify deficiencies when we are required to do so.

Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, starting with the second annual report that we would expect to file with the SEC. We have not previously been subject to this requirement, and, in connection with the implementation of the necessary procedures and practices related to internal controls and over financial reporting, we may identify deficiencies. We may not be able to remediate any future deficiencies in time to meet the deadline imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for compliance with the requirements of Section 404(a) thereof. In addition, failure to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.

There is no existing market for our common stock and an active trading market for our common stock may never develop or be sustained.

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our common stock or any of our equity interests. Although we intend to apply to list our common stock for trading on the NASDAQ, an active trading market for our

 

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common stock may not develop on that exchange or elsewhere or, if developed, that market may not be sustained. Accordingly, if an active trading market for our common stock does not develop or is not maintained, the liquidity of our common stock, your ability to sell your shares of common stock when desired and the prices that you may obtain for your shares of common stock will be adversely affected.

The market price and trading volume of our common stock may be volatile, which could result in rapid and substantial losses for our stockholders and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Even if an active trading market develops, the market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. The initial public offering price of our common stock will be determined by negotiation between us and the representatives of the underwriters based on a number of factors and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the open market following the completion of this offering. If the market price of our common stock declines significantly, you may be unable to resell your shares at or above your purchase price, if at all. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate or decline significantly in the future and you could lose all or part of your investment. Some of the factors that could negatively affect our share price or result in fluctuations in the price or trading volume of our common stock include:

 

•

variations in our quarterly or annual operating results;

 

•

changes in our earnings estimates (if provided) or differences between our actual financial and operating results and those expected by investors and analysts;

 

•

the contents of published research reports about us or our industry or the failure of securities analysts to cover our common stock after this offering;

 

•

additions or departures of key management personnel;

 

•

any increased indebtedness we may incur in the future;

 

•

announcements by us or others and developments affecting us;

 

•

actions by institutional stockholders;

 

•

litigation and governmental investigations;

 

•

legislative or regulatory changes;

 

•

changes in government programs;

 

•

changes in market valuations of similar companies;

 

•

speculation or reports by the press or investment community with respect to us or our industry in general;

 

•

announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions, strategic relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments; and

 

•

general market, political and economic conditions, including any such conditions and local conditions in the markets in which we conduct our operations.

These broad market and industry factors may decrease the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. The stock market in general has from time to time experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations, including recently. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and decreases in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

 

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Future offerings of debt or equity securities by us may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

In the future, we may attempt to obtain financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing additional shares of our common stock or by offering debt or other equity securities, including senior or subordinated notes, debt securities convertible into equity or shares of preferred stock. Opening new company-operated restaurants in existing and new markets could require substantial additional capital in excess of cash from operations. We would expect to finance the capital required for new company-operated restaurants through a combination of additional issuances of equity, corporate indebtedness and cash from operations.

Issuing additional shares of our common stock or other equity securities or securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders or reduce the market price of our common stock or both. Upon liquidation, holders of such debt securities and preferred shares, if issued, and lenders with respect to other borrowings would receive a distribution of our available assets prior to the holders of our common stock. Debt securities convertible into equity could be subject to adjustments in the conversion ratio pursuant to which certain events may increase the number of equity securities issuable upon conversion. Preferred shares, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our common stock. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, holders of our common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their stockholdings in us. See “Description of Capital Stock.”

The market price of our common stock could be negatively affected by sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public markets.

After this offering, there will be             shares of common stock outstanding, or             shares outstanding if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full. Of our issued and outstanding shares, all the common stock sold in this offering will be freely transferable, except for any shares held by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Following completion of the offering, approximately     % and     % of our outstanding common stock, or     % and     % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, will be beneficially owned by Trimaran and Freeman Spogli, respectively, and can be resold into the public markets in the future in accordance with the requirements of Rule 144. See “Shares Eligible For Future Sale.”

We, our officers, directors and holders of substantially all our outstanding capital stock and other securities have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:

 

•

sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-l(h) under the Exchange Act, or

 

•

otherwise dispose of any shares of common stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of common stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially, or

 

•

publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of Jefferies LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC.

This restriction terminates after the close of trading of the common stock on and including the 180th day after the date of this prospectus. Jefferies LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC may, in their sole discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the 180-day period release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements. See “Underwriting—No Sales of Similar Securities.”

The market price of our common stock may decline significantly when the restrictions on resale by our existing stockholders lapse. A decline in the price of our common stock might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional common stock or other equity securities.

Pursuant to our stockholders agreement, LLC and, in certain instances, Freeman Spogli, may require us to file registration statements under the Securities Act at our expense, covering resales of our common stock held by them or LLC or piggyback on a registration statement in certain circumstances. Any such sales, or the prospect of any such sales, could materially impact the market price of our common stock. For a further description of our stockholders agreement, see “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement.”

 

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The future issuance of additional common stock in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions or otherwise will dilute all other stockholdings.

After this offering, assuming the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, we will have an aggregate of             shares of common stock authorized but unissued and not reserved for issuance under our incentive plans. We may issue all of these shares of common stock without any action or approval by our stockholders, subject to certain exceptions. Any common stock issued in connection with our incentive plans, the exercise of outstanding stock options or otherwise would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors who purchase common stock in this offering.

You will incur immediate dilution as a result of this offering.

If you purchase common stock in this offering, you will pay more for your shares than the amounts paid by existing stockholders for their shares. As a result, you will incur immediate dilution of $         per share, representing the difference between the initial public offering price of $         per share and our as-adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering. See “Dilution.”

Delaware law and our organizational documents, as well as our existing and future debt agreements, may impede or discourage a takeover, which could deprive our investors of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares.

We are a Delaware corporation, and the anti-takeover provisions of Delaware law impose various impediments to the ability of a third party to acquire control of us, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. In addition, provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws that will be effective upon completion of this offering may make it more difficult for, or prevent a third party from, acquiring control of us without the approval of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions:

 

•

provide for a classified board of directors with staggered three-year terms;

 

•

do not permit cumulative voting in the election of directors, which would otherwise allow less than a majority of stockholders to elect director candidates;

 

•

delegate the sole power of a majority of the board of directors to fix the number of directors;

 

•

provide the power of our board of directors to fill any vacancy on our board of directors, whether such vacancy occurs as a result of an increase in the number of directors or otherwise;

 

•

authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock without any need for action by stockholders;

 

•

eliminate the ability of stockholders to call special meetings of stockholders; and

 

•

establish advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted on by stockholders at stockholder meetings.

In addition, the documents governing certain of our senior secured credit facilities impose, and we anticipate documents governing our future indebtedness may impose, limitations on our ability to enter into change of control transactions. Under these documents, the occurrence of a change of control transaction could constitute an event of default permitting acceleration of the indebtedness, thereby impeding our ability to enter into certain transactions.

The foregoing factors, as well as the significant common stock ownership by Trimaran and Freeman Spogli, could impede a merger, takeover or other business combination or discourage a potential investor from making a tender offer for our common stock, which, under certain circumstances, could reduce the market value of our common stock. See “Description of Capital Stock.”

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements under “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business” and elsewhere in this prospectus may contain forward-looking statements that reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. Any forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based upon our historical performance and on our current plans, estimates and expectations in light of information currently available to us. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us, any of our stockholders, the underwriters or any other person that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, financial results, financial condition, business, prospects, industry, growth strategy and liquidity. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to:

 

•

the adverse impact of economic conditions on our operating results and financial condition, on our ability to comply with the terms and covenants of our debt agreements and on our ability to pay or to refinance our existing debt or to obtain additional financing;

 

•

our vulnerability to changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions;

 

•

our vulnerability to conditions in the greater Los Angeles area;

 

•

our ability to open new restaurants in new and existing markets;

 

•

anticipated future restaurant openings may be delayed or cancelled;

 

•

increases in the cost of chicken and other products;

 

•

negative publicity, whether or not valid;

 

•

concerns about food safety and quality and about food-borne illnesses, including adverse public perception due to the occurrence of avian flu;

 

•

our dependence upon frequent and timely deliveries of food and other supplies;

 

•

our reliance upon just one distributor for substantially all of our restaurant supplies;

 

•

our history of net losses, including the possibility of future net losses;

 

•

our ability to service our substantial level of indebtedness;

 

•

our ability to compete successfully with other quick service and fast casual restaurants;

 

•

the fact that new menu items, advertising campaigns and restaurant designs and remodels may not generate increased sales or profits;

 

•

our reliance on our franchisees, who have also been adversely impacted by recent economic conditions and who may incur financial hardships, be unable to obtain credit or declare bankruptcy;

 

•

our ability to support our franchise system;

 

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•

our limited degree of control over the actions of our franchisees;

 

•

our ability to protect our name and logo and other proprietary intellectual property;

 

•

loss of the abilities, experience and knowledge of our existing directors and officers;

 

•

matters relating to employment and labor laws;

 

•

the impact of litigation, including wage and hour class action lawsuits;

 

•

labor shortages or increases in labor costs;

 

•

our ability to renew leases at the end of their terms;

 

•

the impact of federal, state or local government regulations relating to the preparation and sale of food, zoning and building codes, and employee, environmental and other matters;

 

•

conflicts of interest with Trimaran and Freeman Spogli;

 

•

the fact that upon listing of our common stock, we will be considered a “controlled company” and exempt from certain corporate governance rules primarily relating to board independence, and we intend to use some or all of these exemptions;

 

•

the fact that we are a holding company with no operations and will rely on our operating subsidiaries to provide us with funds;

 

•

our expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act;

 

•

changes in accounting standards; and

 

•

other risks described in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus.

These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this prospectus. The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement except as required by law, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from what we may have expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution that you should not place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. You should specifically consider the risk factors and other items identified in this prospectus that could cause actual results to differ before making an investment decision to purchase our common stock. Furthermore, new risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

The net proceeds to us from the sale of the         shares of common stock offered hereby are estimated to be approximately $         million, assuming an initial public offering price of $         per share (the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and expected offering expenses payable by us. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay in whole or in part our existing Second Lien Term Loan Facility.

Our $100 million Second Lien Term Loan Facility matures on April 11, 2019 and bears interest at an adjusted LIBOR or Alternate Base Rate plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin rate is 8.50% with respect to adjusted LIBOR advances and 7.50% with respect to Alternate Base Rate advances. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Debt and Other Obligations—Senior Secured Credit Facilities.” We intend to repay $         million of the outstanding principal amount of our Second Lien Term Loan Facility with the proceeds from this offering, plus $         million in prepayment penalties and fees. In the 2013 Refinancing, the proceeds from our $100 million Second Lien Term Loan Facility were used to refinance substantially all of our $105 million 17% Second Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2018.

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $         per share (the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by $         million, assuming the number of shares of common stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

An affiliate of one of the underwriters is a lender under our Second Lien Term Loan Facility and will receive a portion of the proceeds of this offering. Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with FINRA Rule 5121. See “Underwriting—Conflicts of Interest.”

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We do not expect to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Instead, we anticipate that all of our earnings in the foreseeable future, if any, will be used for the operation and growth of our business.

Any future determination to pay dividends on our common stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon many factors, including our financial position, our results of operations, our liquidity, legal requirements, restrictions that may be imposed by the terms of current and future financing instruments and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Our senior secured credit facilities also restrict our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Debt and Other Obligations—Senior Secured Credit Facilities.”

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of March 26, 2014:

 

•

on an actual basis; and

 

•

on an as-adjusted basis giving effect to (i) the sale of shares of common stock by us in this offering, at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and (ii) the repayment of our Second Lien Term Loan Facility with the proceeds from this offering.

You should read this table in conjunction with “Use of Proceeds,” “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

		As of March 26, 2014
		Actual				As Adjusted
		(Amounts in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents		$	20,397			$
Debt:
Senior secured credit facilities:
Revolving credit facility(1)		$	—			$
First lien term loan facility			188,662
Second lien term loan facility			99,083
Capital leases			1,051
Total debt			288,796
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share: 10,000,000 shares authorized and 3,352,786 shares issued and outstanding, actual;             shares authorized and             shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted			34
Additional paid-in capital			240,573
Accumulated deficit(2)			(186,432	)
Total stockholders’ equity			54,175
Total capitalization		$	342,971			$

 

(1)	Excludes approximately $7.3 million of outstanding letters of credit as of March 26, 2014, that will not be reflected on the balance sheet unless drawn upon.

 

(2)

As adjusted accumulated deficit reflects the write-off of (i) $         million ($         million net of tax) in deferred financing fees related to the repayment of our Second Lien Term Loan Facility and (ii) $         million ($         million net of tax) in prepayment penalties and fees related to the repayment of our Second Lien Term Loan Facility. See “Use of Proceeds” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Monitoring and Management Services Agreement.”

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price in this offering per share of our common stock and the pro forma as-adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock upon completion of this offering. Net tangible book value per share represents the book value of our total tangible assets less the book value of our total liabilities divided by the number of shares of common stock then issued and outstanding.

Our net tangible book value as of March 26, 2014, was approximately $         million, or approximately $         per share based on the             shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of such date. After giving effect to our sale of common stock in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of $         per share (the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), and after deducting the estimated underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as-adjusted net tangible book value as of March 26, 2014, would have been $         million, or $         per share (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares). This represents an immediate and substantial dilution of $         per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution per share:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share						$
Net tangible book value per share as of March 26, 2014		$
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering
Pro forma as-adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering
Dilution per share to new investors in this offering						$

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $         per share (the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase (decrease) our net tangible book value by $         million, the pro forma as-adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $         per share and the dilution to new investors in this offering by $         per share, assuming the number of shares of common stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remained the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The following table summarizes, on a pro forma basis as of March 26, 2014, the differences between the number of shares of common stock purchased from us, the total price and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders and by the new investors in this offering, before deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us, at an assumed initial public offering price of $         per share (the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus).

 

		Shares Purchased						Total Consideration								Average Price Per Share
		Number		Percentage				Amount				Percentage
Existing stockholders						%		$						%		$
New investors						%		$						%		$
Total					100	%		$					100	%

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial offering price would increase (decrease) total consideration paid by new investors and average price per share paid by new investors by $         million and $1.00 per share, respectively. An increase (decrease) of 1.0 million in the number of shares offered by us would increase (decrease) total consideration paid by new investors by $         million and $         per share, respectively.

If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is fully exercised, the pro forma as-adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering as of March 26, 2014, would be approximately $         per share and the dilution to new investors per share after this offering would be $         per share.

 

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SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table contains selected historical consolidated historical financial data as of and for the fiscal years ended December 25, 2013 and December 26, 2012, derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected consolidated statement of operations and cash flow data set forth below for the year ended December 28, 2011, are derived from audited consolidated financial statements of ours not included in this prospectus. The summary consolidated statements of operations and cash flow data for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 and March 27, 2013 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of March 26, 2014 have been derived from our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Results from interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. You should read these tables in conjunction with the information contained under the headings “Use of Proceeds,” “Capitalization,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business” and in our consolidated financial statements and the related notes to those statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

		Thirteen Weeks Ended								Fiscal Year Ended (1)
		March 26, 2014				March 27, 2013				2013				2012				2011
		(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Statement of Operations Data:
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue		$	76,213			$	72,069			$	294,327			$	274,928			$	255,361
Franchise revenue			5,214				4,926				20,400				18,682				17,877
Total revenue			81,427				76,995				314,727				293,610				273,238
Cost of operations
Food and paper costs			24,023				22,696				93,589				85,428				78,873
Labor and related expenses			19,313				19,070				75,669				73,406				69,584
Occupancy and other operating expenses			16,044				15,524				63,150				61,636				59,269
Company restaurant expenses			59,380				57,290				232,408				220,470				207,726
General and administrative expenses			6,630				6,193				25,506				24,451				22,828
Franchise expenses			983				969				3,841				3,647				3,862
Depreciation and amortization			2,595				2,404				10,213				9,530				9,615
Loss on disposal of assets			276				190				868				966				197
Asset impairment and close-store reserves			53				65				(101	)			1,494				2,014
Total expenses			69,917				67,111				272,735				260,558				246,242
Gain on disposal of restaurant			—				—				400				—				—
Income from operations			11,510				9,884				42,392				33,052				26,996
Interest expense, net			5,623				9,780				36,334				38,890				37,715
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			—				—				21,530				—				20,173
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes			5,887				104				(15,472	)			(5,838	)			(30,892	)
Provision for income taxes			(417	)			(164	)			(1,401	)			(2,027	)			(1,579	)
Net income (loss)		$	5,470			$	(60	)		$	(16,873	)		$	(7,865	)		$	(32,471	)
Per Share Data:
Net income (loss) per share
Basic		$	1.63			$	(0.02	)		$	(5.03	)		$	(2.35	)		$	(11.54	)
Diluted		$	1.55			$	(0.02	)		$	(5.03	)		$	(2.35	)		$	(11.54	)
Weighted average shares used in computing net income (loss) per share
Basic			3,352,786				3,352,786				3,352,786				3,352,736				2,814,913
Diluted			3,531,878				3,352,786				3,352,786				3,352,736				2,814,913
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Data:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities		$	7,582			$	(3,076	)		$	19,700			$	19,409			$	6,454
Net cash used in investing activities			(3,661	)			(3,324	)			(13,787	)			(14,993	)			(3,709	)
Net cash used in financing activities			(539	)			(479	)			(10,385	)			(1,920	)			(6,469	)

 

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		Thirteen Weeks Ended				Fiscal Year Ended(1)
		March 26, 2014				2013				2012
Balance Sheet Data—Consolidated (at period end):
Cash and cash equivalents		$	20,397			$	17,015			$	21,487
Net property(2)			70,703				68,641				64,808
Total assets			420,917				416,500				417,898
Total debt(3)			288,796				289,242				274,621
Total stockholders’ equity			54,175				48,536				64,587

 

(1)

We use a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Wednesday of each calendar year. Fiscal 2013, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 ended on December 25, 2013, December 26, 2012 and December 28, 2011, respectively. In a 52-week fiscal year, each quarter includes 13 weeks of operations; in a 53-week fiscal year, the first, second and third quarters each include 13 weeks of operations and the fourth quarter includes 14 weeks of operations. Approximately every six or seven years a 53-week fiscal year occurs. Fiscal 2013, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 were 52-week fiscal years.

 

(2)	Net property consists of property owned, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization.

 

(3)	Total debt consists of borrowings under our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement and capital lease obligations.

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data,” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from management’s expectations. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

We use a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Wednesday of the calendar year. In a 52-week fiscal year, each quarter includes 13 weeks of operations; in a 53-week fiscal year, the first, second and third quarters each include 13 weeks of operations and the fourth quarter includes 14 weeks of operations. Every six or seven years a 53-week fiscal year occurs. Fiscal 2011, fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013, which were 52-week years, ended on December 28, 2011, December 26, 2012 and December 25, 2013, respectively. Fiscal 2014 is a 53-week year, which may cause our revenue, expenses, and other results of operations to be higher due to an additional week of operations.

Overview

El Pollo Loco is a differentiated restaurant concept that specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken in front of our customers. We operate within the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry, the limited service segment. We believe we offer the quality of food typical of fast casual restaurants while providing the speed, convenience and value typical of traditional QSRs, a combination which we call “QSR+” and which provides a value-oriented fast casual dining experience. Our distinctive menu features our signature product—citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken—and a variety of Mexican-inspired entrees that we create from our chicken. We offer our customers healthier alternatives to traditional food on the go, served by our engaging team members in a colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environment. We serve individual and family-sized chicken meals, a variety of Mexican-inspired entrees, sides, and, throughout the year, on a limited-time basis, alternative proteins like shrimp, carnitas and beef. Our entrees include favorites such as our Poblano Burrito, Under 500 Calorie Mango Grilled Tostada, Ultimate Pollo Bowl, Grand Baja Shrimp Tacos and Chicken, Bacon and Guacamole Stuffed Quesadilla. Our freshly-prepared salsas and dressings are prepared daily allowing our customers to create their favorite flavor profiles to enhance their culinary experience. Our healthier menu offering appeals to consumers across a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds and drives our balanced day-part mix.

Growth Strategies and Outlook

We plan to continue to expand our business, drive restaurant sales growth and enhance our competitive positioning by executing on the following strategies:

 

•

expand our restaurant base;

 

•

increase our comparable restaurant sales; and

 

•

enhance operations and leverage our infrastructure.

We believe we are in the early stages of our growth story with 401 current locations in five states, as of March 26, 2014, and we have significant opportunities to expand in existing and new markets. For the year ended December 25, 2013, we opened two new company-operated and five new franchised restaurants, and in 2014 we intend to open eight to 10 new company-operated and four to six new franchise restaurants across California, Nevada and Texas. To increase comparable restaurant sales, we plan to increase customer frequency, attract new customers and improve per person spend. We believe we are well positioned for future growth, with a developed corporate infrastructure capable of supporting a future restaurant base that is greater than our existing one. Additionally, we believe we have an opportunity to optimize costs and enhance our profitability as we benefit from economies of scale.

 

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Highlights and Trends

Comparable Restaurant Sales

For the thirteen weeks ending March 26, 2014, fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012, comparable restaurant sales system-wide increased 7.2%, 7.0% and 9.9%, respectively. Comparable restaurant sales growth reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the comparable restaurant base. A restaurant enters our comparable restaurant base the first full week after its 15-month anniversary. System-wide comparable restaurant sales include restaurant sales at all comparable company-operated restaurants and at all comparable franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. Comparable restaurant sales at company-operated restaurants increased 5.4% for the thirteen weeks ending March 26, 2014, 5.3% for fiscal 2013, and 8.6% for fiscal 2012. The increase in company-operated comparable restaurant sales for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 was primarily the result of an increase in average check size of 4.0% and an increase in traffic of 1.4% compared to the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013. The increase in company-operated comparable restaurant sales in 2013 was driven by an increase in average check size of 2.7% and by traffic growth of 2.6%. In 2012, the increases in average check size and in transactions growth were 6.0% and 2.6%, respectively, for company-operated restaurants in our comparable base. Comparable restaurant sales at franchised restaurants increased 8.3%, 8.8% and 11.0% for the thirteen weeks ending March 26, 2014, fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012, respectively.

Restaurant Development

Our restaurant counts at the end of each of the last three fiscal years and the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 are as follows:

 

		Thirteen Weeks Ended				Fiscal Year Ended
		March 26, 2014				2013				2012				2011
Company-operated restaurant activity:
Beginning of period			168				169				165				171
Openings			—				2				4				—
Closures			—				(3	)			—				(6	)
Restaurants at end of period			168				168				169				165
Franchised restaurant activity:
Beginning of period			233				229				229				241
Openings			—				5				3				—
Closures			—				(1	)			(3	)			(12	)
Restaurants at end of period			233				233				229				229
Total restaurant activity:
Beginning of period			401				398				394				412
Openings			—				7				7				—
Closures			—				(4	)			(3	)			(18	)
Restaurants at end of period			401				401				398				394

Since 2011 we have focused on repositioning our brand, improving operational efficiency and brand awareness, strengthening our management team, and refinancing our indebtedness in preparation for future growth. New restaurant development is expected to be a key driver of our growth strategy. We plan to open an estimated eight to 10 company-operated restaurants in fiscal 2014. Additionally, we estimate that our franchisees will open four to six new restaurants in fiscal 2014. From time to time we close restaurants and we anticipate closing one to two company-operated restaurants in fiscal 2014.

Restaurant Remodeling

We and our franchisees commenced our remodeling program in 2011 and, as of March 26, 2014, together we have remodeled a total of 152 restaurants, including 70 that are company-operated. We expect to have remodeled over 50% of our restaurant system by the end of 2014. Remodeling is a use of cash and has implications for our net property and depreciation line items on our consolidated balance sheets and statements of operations, among others. The cost of our restaurant remodels varies depending on the scope of work required, but on average the investment is $270,000 per restaurant. We believe our remodeling program will result in higher restaurant revenue and a strengthened brand.

 

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2013 Refinancing

In October 2013, we refinanced our $12.5 million first lien revolving credit facility, $170 million first lien term loan facility and $105 million 17% Second Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2018 (the “2018 Notes”) by entering into our current senior secured credit facilities, which include our $15 million first lien Revolving Credit Facility and our $190 million First Lien Term Loan Facility (each as defined under “—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Debt and Other Obligations—Senior Secured Credit Facilities” below) and our $100 million Second Lien Term Loan Facility, which we refer to as the “2013 Refinancing.” Our senior secured credit facilities carry longer maturities and lower interest rates than the indebtedness they replaced. Following the completion of the 2013 Refinancing, our interest expense declined by approximately $17.8 million on an annualized basis or approximately 49% of our $36.3 million of interest expense for fiscal 2013.

Key Performance Indicators

To evaluate the performance of our business, we utilize a variety of financial and performance measures. These key measures include company-operated restaurant revenue, comparable restaurant sales, company-operated average unit volumes, restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin, new restaurant openings, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA.

Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue

Company-operated restaurant revenue consists of sales of food and beverages in company-operated restaurants net of promotional allowances, employee meals and other discounts. Company-operated restaurant revenue in any period is directly influenced by the number of operating weeks in such period, the number of open restaurants and comparable restaurant sales.

Seasonal factors and the timing of holidays cause our revenue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Our revenue per restaurant is typically lower in the first and fourth quarters due to reduced January and December traffic and higher in the second and third quarters. As a result of seasonality, our quarterly and annual results of operations and key performance indicators such as company restaurant revenue and comparable restaurant sales may fluctuate.

Comparable Restaurant Sales

We closely monitor company, franchise and total system comparable restaurant sales. Comparable restaurant sales reflect the change in year-over-year sales for the comparable company, franchise and total system restaurant base. We define comparable restaurant base to include those restaurants open for 15 months or longer. As of March 26, 2014, December 25, 2013, December 26, 2012 and December 28, 2011, there were 164, 161, 164 and 167 restaurants, respectively, in our comparable company-operated restaurant base. As of March 26, 2014, December 25, 2013, December 26, 2012 and December 28, 2011, there were 228, 227, 229 and 229 restaurants, respectively, in our comparable franchise-operated restaurant base. This measure highlights the performance of existing restaurants as the impact of new restaurant openings is excluded. Comparable restaurant sales growth can be generated by an increase in the number of meals sold and/or by increases in the average check amount resulting from a shift in menu mix and/or higher prices resulting from new products or price increases.

Company-Operated Average Unit Volumes

We measure company-operated AUVs on both a weekly and an annual basis. Weekly AUVs consist of comparable restaurant sales over a seven day period from Thursday to Wednesday. Annual AUVs are calculated using the following methodology: First, we divide our total net sales for all company-operated restaurants for the fiscal year by the total number of restaurant operating weeks during the same period. Second, we annualize that average weekly per-restaurant sales figure by multiplying it by 52. An operating week is defined as a restaurant open for business over a seven day period from Thursday to Wednesday. This measurement allows management to assess changes in consumer spending patterns at our restaurants and the overall performance of our restaurant base.

Restaurant Contribution and Restaurant Contribution Margin

Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, GAAP. Restaurant contribution is defined as company-operated restaurant revenue less company restaurant

 

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expenses. Restaurant contribution margin is defined as restaurant contribution as a percentage of net company-operated restaurant revenue. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are supplemental measures of operating performance of our restaurants and our calculations thereof may not be comparable to those reported by other companies. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Management believes that restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are important tools for investors because they are widely-used metrics within the restaurant industry to evaluate restaurant-level productivity, efficiency and performance. Management uses restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin as key metrics to evaluate the profitability of incremental sales at our restaurants, to evaluate our restaurant performance across periods and to evaluate our restaurant financial performance compared with our competitors. See “Prospectus Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data” for a reconciliation of restaurant contribution to company-operated restaurant revenue.

New Restaurant Openings

The number of restaurant openings reflects the number of new restaurants opened by us and our franchisees during a particular reporting period. Before a new restaurant opens, we and our franchisees incur pre-opening costs, as described below. New restaurants often open with an initial start-up period of higher than normal sales volumes, which subsequently decrease to stabilized levels. New restaurants typically experience normal inefficiencies in the form of higher food and paper, labor and other direct operating expenses and, as a result, restaurant contribution margins are generally lower during the start-up period of operation. The average start-up period after which our new restaurants’ revenue and expenses normalize is approximately eight to 12 weeks. When we enter new markets, we may be exposed to start-up times and restaurant contribution margins that are longer and lower than reflected in our average historical experience.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation, amortization and items that we do not consider representative of our ongoing operating performance, as identified in the reconciliation table below.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as presented in this prospectus are supplemental measures of our performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), operating income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP or as alternatives to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity. In addition, in evaluating EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we will incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. Our presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation, or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are (i) they do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments, (ii) they do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs, (iii) they do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt, (iv) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements, (v) they do not adjust for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our statements of cash flows, (vi) they do not reflect the impact of earnings or charges resulting from matters we consider not to be indicative of our ongoing operations, and (vii) other companies in our industry may calculate these measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.

We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from such non-GAAP financial measures. We further compensate for the limitations in our use of non-GAAP financial measures by presenting comparable GAAP measures more prominently.

 

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We believe EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by isolating the effects of some items that vary from period to period without any correlation to core operating performance or that vary widely among similar companies. These potential differences may be caused by variations in capital structures (affecting interest expense), tax positions (such as the impact on periods or companies of changes in effective tax rates or net operating losses) and the age and book depreciation of facilities and equipment (affecting relative depreciation expense). We also present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because (i) we believe these measures are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry, (ii) we believe investors will find these measures useful in assessing our ability to service or incur indebtedness, and (iii) we use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA internally as benchmarks to compare our performance to that of our competitors.

The following table sets forth reconciliations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to our net income (loss):

 

		Thirteen Weeks Ended								Fiscal Year Ended
		March 26, 2014				March 27, 2013				2013				2012				2011
		(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
Net income (loss)		$	5,470			$	(60	)		$	(16,873	)		$	(7,865	)		$	(32,471	)
Non-GAAP Adjustments:
Provision for income taxes			417				164				1,401				2,027				1,579
Interest expense, net			5,623				9,780				36,334				38,890				37,715
Depreciation and amortization			2,595				2,404				10,213				9,530				9,615
EBITDA		$	14,105			$	12,288				31,075				42,582				16,438
Stock based compensation expense(a)			169				85				822				860				40
Management fees(b)			158				155				624				612				674
Loss on disposal of assets(c)			276				190				868				966				197
Impairment and closures(d)			53				65				(101	)			1,494				2,014
Debt extinguishment expense(e)			—				—				21,530				—				20,173
Pre-opening costs(f)			108				104				201				320				—
Adjusted EBITDA		$	14,869			$	12,887			$	55,019			$	46,834			$	39,536

 

(a)	Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation.

 

(b)	Includes management fees and other out-of-pocket costs paid to our sponsors.

 

(c)	Loss on disposal of assets includes the loss on disposal of assets related to retirements and replacement or write-off of leasehold improvements or equipment.

 

(d)	Includes costs related to impairment of long-lived assets and closing restaurants. In 2013, we reversed a portion of the close-store reserves established in 2012, due to our subleasing, in 2013, of one of the reserved restaurants at a lower net cost than originally estimated.

 

(e)	Includes costs associated with our debt refinancing transactions in July 2011 and October 2013.

 

(f)

Pre-opening costs are a component of general and administrative expenses, and consist of costs directly associated with the opening of new restaurants and incurred prior to opening, including management labor costs, staff labor costs during training, food and supplies used during training, marketing costs and other related pre-opening costs. These are generally incurred over the three to five months prior to opening. Pre-opening costs also include occupancy costs incurred between the date of possession and opening date of our restaurants.

 

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Key Financial Definitions

Revenue

Our revenue is derived from two primary sources: company-operated restaurant revenue and franchise revenue, the latter of which is comprised primarily of franchise royalties and, to a lesser extent, franchise fees and sublease rental income.

Food and Paper Costs

Food and paper costs include the direct costs associated with food, beverage and packaging of our menu items. The components of food and paper costs are variable in nature, change with sales volume, are impacted by menu mix and are subject to increases or decreases in commodity costs.

Labor and Related Expenses

Labor and related expenses include wages, payroll taxes, workers’ compensation expense, benefits and bonuses paid to our restaurant management teams. Like other expense items, we expect labor costs to grow proportionately as our restaurant revenue grows. Factors that influence labor costs include minimum wage and payroll tax legislation, the frequency and severity of workers’ compensation claims, health care costs and the performance of our restaurants.

Occupancy Costs and Other Operating Expenses

Occupancy costs include rent, common area maintenance and real estate taxes. Other restaurant operating expenses include the costs of utilities, advertising, credit card processing fees, restaurant supplies, repairs and maintenance and other restaurant operating costs.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses is comprised of expenses associated with corporate and administrative functions that support the development and operations of our restaurants, including compensation and benefits, travel expenses, stock compensation costs, legal and professional fees and other related corporate costs. Also included are pre-opening costs and expenses above the restaurant level, including salaries for field management, such as area and regional managers.

Franchise Expenses

Franchise expenses are primarily comprised of rent expenses incurred on properties leased by us and then sublet to franchisees and expenses incurred in support of franchisee information technology systems.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization primarily consists of the depreciation of fixed assets, including leasehold improvements and equipment.

Loss on Disposal of Assets

Loss on disposal of assets includes the loss on disposal of assets related to retirements and replacement or write-off of leasehold improvements or equipment.

Asset Impairment and Close-Store Reserves

We review long-lived assets such as property, equipment and intangibles on a unit-by-unit basis for impairment when events or circumstances indicate a carrying value of the assets that may not be recoverable and record an impairment charge when appropriate. Closure costs include non-cash restaurant charges such as up-front expensing of unpaid rent remaining on the life of a lease.

 

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Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net, consists primarily of interest on our outstanding debt. Debt issuance costs are amortized at cost over the life of the related debt.

Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt

In October 2013, we refinanced our existing debt by entering into our senior secured credit facilities. Our senior secured credit facilities carry longer maturities and lower interest rates than the indebtedness they replaced. As a result of the 2013 Refinancing, we incurred charges for call premiums, a write-off of deferred financing costs and accelerated accretion.

In July 2011, we refinanced our outstanding $12.5 million first lien revolving credit facility, 11.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2012, 11.75% Senior Notes due 2013 and 14.5% Senior Discount Notes due 2014 with a $12.5 million first lien revolving credit facility, $170 million first lien term loan facility and $105 million 17% Second Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2018.

Provision for Income Taxes

Provision for income taxes consists of federal and state taxes on our income.

Results of Operations

Thirteen Weeks Ended March 26, 2014 Compared to Thirteen Weeks Ended March 27, 2013

Our operating results for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 and March 27, 2013 in absolute terms and expressed as a percentage of total revenue are compared below:

 

		Thirteen Weeks Ended
		March 26, 2014								March 27, 2013								Increase / (Decrease)
		($ ,000)				(%)				($ ,000)				(%)				($ ,000)				(%)
Statement of Operations Data:
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue		$	76,213				93.6			$	72,069				93.6			$	4,144				5.8
Franchise revenue			5,214				6.4				4,926				6.4				288				5.8
Total revenue			81,427				100.0				76,995				100.0				4,432				5.8
Cost of operations
Food and paper costs			24,023				29.5				22,696				29.5				1,327				5.8
Labor and related expenses			19,313				23.7				19,070				24.8				243				1.3
Occupancy and other operating expenses			16,044				19.7				15,524				20.2				520				3.3
Company restaurant expenses			59,380				72.9				57,290				74.4				2,090				3.6
General and administrative expenses			6,630				8.1				6,193				8.0				437				7.1
Franchise expenses			983				1.2				969				1.3				14				1.4
Depreciation and amortization			2,595				3.2				2,404				3.1				191				7.9
Loss on disposal of assets			276				0.3				190				0.2				87				45.3
Asset impairment and close-store reserves			53				0.1				65				0.1				(12	)			(18.5	)
Total expenses			69,917				85.9				67,111				87.2				2,806				4.2
Income from operations			11,510				14.1				9,884				12.8				1,626				16.5
Interest expense, net			5,623				6.9				9,780				12.7				(4,157	)			(42.5	)
Income before provision for income taxes			5,887				7.2				104				0.1				5,783				5,560.6
Provision for income taxes			(417	)			0.5				(164	)			0.2				(253	)			154.3
Net income (loss)		$	5,470				6.7			$	(60	)			(0.1	)		$	5,530				(9,216.7	)

Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue

Company-operated restaurant revenue increased $4.1 million, or 5.8%, for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, primarily due to an increase in company-operated comparable restaurant sales of $3.8 million, or 5.4%. The

 

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growth in company-operated comparable restaurant sales was primarily due to an increase in average check size of 4.0% and an increase in traffic of 1.4% compared to the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013. Company-operated restaurant revenue was also favorably impacted by $1.0 million of additional sales from restaurants not in the comparable base. This was partially offset by $0.6 million of lost sales from restaurants that closed in 2013.

Franchise Revenue

Franchise revenue increased $0.3 million, or 5.8%, for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, primarily due to higher franchised comparable restaurant sales of 8.3%.

Food and Paper Costs

Food and paper costs increased $1.3 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, consisting of a $1.1 million increase in food costs and a $0.2 million increase in paper costs. The increase in food and paper costs was primarily due to higher revenue and higher product costs related to chicken and packaging. Food and paper costs as a percentage of total revenue were 29.5% for each of the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 and March 27, 2013.

Labor and Related Expenses

Payroll and benefit expenses increased $0.2 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, primarily due to increased labor costs resulting from higher sales, partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in group health insurance and workers’ compensation expenses due to lower year-over-year claims activity. Payroll and benefit expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 23.7% for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 compared to 24.8% for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013. This decrease was primarily due an increase in revenue, the relatively fixed nature of labor costs and the decrease in group health insurance and workers’ compensation expenses noted above.

Occupancy and Other Operating Expenses

Occupancy and other operating expenses increased $0.5 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, primarily due to a $0.3 million increase in utility costs, resulting primarily from higher gas prices, and a $0.2 million increase in advertising costs, as a result of higher company-operated restaurant revenue. Occupancy and other operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 19.7% for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 compared to 20.2% for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013. This decrease was primarily due to higher restaurant revenue, partially offset by the higher expenses discussed above.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses increased $0.4 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, primarily due to a $0.1 million increase in legal fees due to an increase in litigation activity, an increase in payroll expense primarily due to severance costs resulting from the exit of one of the management team and a $0.1 million increase in stock option expense, primarily due to the vesting of performance-based options. These increases were partially offset by a $0.1 million decrease in medical costs, primarily due to lower claims activity. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 8.1% for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 compared to 8.0% for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013. This increase was primarily due to the increase in general and administrative expenses discussed above, partially offset by higher total revenue.

Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net, decreased $4.2 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, primarily due to a reduction in interest rates on our debt resulting from the 2013 Refinancing. Our current senior secured credit facilities carry longer maturities and lower interest rates than the indebtedness they replaced.

Provision for Income Taxes

We recorded an income tax provision of $0.4 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 compared to $0.2 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013. The provision for income taxes relates primarily to the effect of changes in our deferred taxes and the related effect of maintaining a full valuation allowance against certain of our deferred tax assets as of March 26, 2014, and March 27, 2013.

 

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Fiscal Year 2013 Compared to Fiscal Year 2012

Our operating results for the fiscal years ended December 25, 2013 and December 26, 2012 in absolute terms and expressed as a percentage of total revenue are compared below:

 

		Fiscal Year Ended
		2013								2012								Increase / (Decrease)
		($ ,000)				(%)				($ ,000)				(%)				($ ,000)				(%)
Statement of Operations Data:
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue		$	294,327				93.5			$	274,928				93.6			$	19,399				7.1
Franchise revenue			20,400				6.5				18,682				6.4				1,718				9.2
Total revenue			314,727				100.0				293,610				100.0				21,117				7.2
Cost of operations
Food and paper costs			93,589				29.7				85,428				29.1				8,161				9.6
Labor and related expenses			75,669				24.0				73,406				25.0				2,263				3.1
Occupancy and other operating expenses			63,150				20.1				61,636				21.0				1,514				2.5
Company restaurant expenses			232,408				73.8				220,470				75.1				11,938				5.4
General and administrative expenses			25,506				8.1				24,451				8.3				1,055				4.3
Franchise expenses			3,841				1.2				3,647				1.2				194				5.3
Depreciation and amortization			10,213				3.2				9,530				3.2				683				7.2
Loss on disposal of assets			868				0.3				966				0.3				(98	)			(10.1	)
Asset impairment and close-store reserves			(101	)			(0.0	)			1,494				0.6				(1,595	)			(106.8	)
Total expenses			272,735				86.6				260,558				88.7				12,177				4.7
Gain on disposal of restaurant			400				0.1				—				—				400				—
Income from operations			42,392				13.5				33,052				11.3				9,340				28.3
Interest expense, net			36,334				11.5				38,890				13.3				(2,556	)			(6.6	)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			21,530				6.9				—				—				21,530				—
Loss before provision for income taxes			(15,472	)			(4.9	)			(5,838	)			(2.0	)			(9,634	)			165.0
Provision for income taxes			(1,401	)			(0.4	)			(2,027	)			(0.7	)			626				(30.9	)
Net loss		$	(16,873	)			(5.3	)		$	(7,865	)			(2.7	)		$	(9,008	)			114.5

Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue

Company-operated restaurant revenue increased $19.4 million, or 7.1%, for fiscal 2013, primarily due to an increase in company-operated comparable restaurant sales of $14.1 million, or 5.3%. The growth in company-operated comparable sales was primarily the result of an increase in average check size of 2.7% and an increase in traffic of 2.6% compared to the prior year. Company-operated restaurant revenue was also favorably impacted by $6.8 million of additional sales from restaurants not in the comparable restaurant base. This increase was partially offset by $2.4 million of lost sales from the closure of certain restaurants in fiscal 2013.

Franchise Revenue

Franchise revenue increased $1.7 million, or 9.2%, for fiscal 2013, primarily due to higher franchised comparable restaurant sales of 8.8%, $0.2 million in higher franchise fees due to five new franchised restaurants that opened in fiscal 2013 and franchise agreement renewal fees. This increase was partially offset by the negative impacts of the closure of three franchised restaurants in fiscal 2012 and of one closure in fiscal 2013.

Food and Paper Costs

Food and paper costs increased $8.2 million for fiscal 2013, consisting of a $7.5 million increase in food costs and a $0.7 million increase in paper costs. The increase in food and paper costs was primarily due to higher revenue and higher product costs related to chicken and packaging. Food and paper costs as a percentage of total revenue were 29.7% for fiscal 2013 compared to 29.1% for fiscal 2012. The percentage increase resulted primarily from food cost inflation and increases in packaging costs, partially offset by menu price increases.

 

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Labor and Related Expenses

Payroll and benefit expenses increased $2.3 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to increased labor costs resulting from higher sales and additional labor needs arising from the opening of two new restaurants in fiscal 2013 and four new restaurants in fiscal 2012. This increase was partially offset by decreased labor needs relating to three restaurants that closed in fiscal 2013, and by a $0.3 million decrease in group health insurance expense due to lower year-over-year medical claims. Payroll and benefit expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 24.0% for fiscal 2013 compared to 25.0% for fiscal 2012. This decrease was primarily due an increase in revenue, the relatively fixed nature of labor costs and the decrease in group health insurance expense noted above.

Occupancy and Other Operating Expenses

Occupancy and other operating expenses increased $1.5 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to an increase in operating expenses, resulting primarily from a $0.8 million increase in operating supply costs and credit and debit card processing fees primarily due to higher sales and a higher percentage of credit card transactions, a $0.7 million increase in advertising costs primarily due to higher company-operated restaurant revenue, and a $0.4 million increase in occupancy expense primarily due to the new restaurants that opened in fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012. These increases were partially offset by decreases in utilities, primarily due to lower natural gas costs, and repairs and maintenance costs. Occupancy and other operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 20.1% for fiscal 2013 compared to 21.0% for fiscal 2012. This decrease was primarily due to higher restaurant revenue, partially offset by the higher expenses discussed above.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses increased $1.1 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to a $0.6 million increase in legal fees due to an increase in litigation activity, a $0.4 million increase in payroll expense primarily due to the upgrade of various administrative positions to higher salary levels, and higher severance costs due to the departure of one of our senior managers. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in group health insurance primarily due to a decrease in claims. General and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenue was 8.1% for fiscal 2013 compared to 8.3% for fiscal 2012. This decrease was primarily due to higher total revenue, partially offset by the increase in general and administrative expenses discussed above.

Franchise Expenses

Franchise expense increased by $0.2 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to higher lease expense resulting from increased rents tied to percentage of sales calculations.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization increased $0.7 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to the increase in the number of new restaurants and additional equipment related to our remodeling program, partially offset by the closure of three company-operated restaurants in fiscal 2013. Depreciation and amortization as a percentage of total revenue was 3.2% for both fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012.

Asset Impairment and Close-Store Reserves

Asset impairment and close-store reserve expense decreased $1.6 million to a gain of $0.1 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to a decrease of $1.6 million in close-store reserves. The 2012 close-store reserve expense resulted from the establishment of a reserve for four restaurants that were anticipated to be closed, while the 2013 gain resulted from the partial reversal in 2013 of the 2012 reserve costs, due to our subleasing one of the reserved restaurants at a lower net cost than originally estimated.

Gain on Disposal of Restaurant

During fiscal 2013, a $0.4 million gain was recognized relating to a restaurant that was closed as a result of an eminent domain purchase by the State of California.

 

 

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Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net, decreased $2.6 million for fiscal 2013, primarily due to a reduction in interest rates on our debt resulting from the 2013 Refinancing. Our current senior secured credit facilities carry longer maturities and lower interest rates than the indebtedness they replaced.

Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt

We recorded a $21.5 million charge in fiscal 2013 relating to the early extinguishment of debt. This charge resulted from call premiums of $7.9 million, a write-off of deferred financing costs of $8.4 million and accelerated accretion of $5.2 million resulting from the 2013 Refinancing. As a result of the 2013 Refinancing, we incurred banking fees, early repayment penalties and other related costs.

Provision for Income Taxes

Despite having a net loss in both fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012, our provision for income taxes consisted of income tax expense of $1.4 million for fiscal 2013 and $2.0 million for fiscal 2012, primarily related to the effect of changes in our deferred taxes and the related effect of maintaining a full valuation allowance against certain of our deferred tax assets as of December 25, 2013, and December 26, 2012.

Fiscal Year 2012 Compared to Fiscal Year 2011

Our operating results for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2012 and December 28, 2011 in absolute terms and expressed as a percentage of total revenue are compared below:

 

		Fiscal Year Ended
		2012								2011								Increase (Decrease)
		($ ,000)				(%)				($ ,000)				(%)				($ ,000)				(%)
Statement of Operations Data:
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue		$	274,928				93.6			$	255,361				93.5			$	19,567				7.7
Franchise revenue			18,682				6.4				17,877				6.5				805				4.5
Total revenue			293,610				100.0				273,238				100.0				20,372				7.5
Cost of operations
Food and paper costs			85,428				29.1				78,873				28.9				6,555				8.3
Labor and related expenses			73,406				25.0				69,584				25.5				3,822				5.5
Occupancy and other operating expenses			61,636				21.0				59,269				21.7				2,367				4.0
Company restaurant expenses			220,470				75.1				207,726				76.0				12,744				6.1
General and administrative expenses			24,451				8.3				22,828				8.4				1,623				7.1
Franchise expenses			3,647				1.2				3,862				1.4				(215	)			(5.6	)
Depreciation and amortization			9,530				3.2				9,615				3.5				(85	)			(0.9	)
Loss on disposal of assets			966				0.3				197				0.1				769				390.4
Asset impairment and close-store reserves			1,494				0.6				2,014				0.7				(520	)			(25.8	)
Total expenses			260,558				88.7				246,242				90.1				14,316				5.8
Income from operations			33,052				11.3				26,996				9.9				6,056				22.4
Interest expense, net			38,890				13.3				37,715				13.8				1,175				3.1
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			—				—				20,173				7.4				(20,173	)			(100.0	)
Loss before provision for income taxes			(5,838	)			(2.0	)			(30,892	)			(11.3	)			25,054				(81.1	)
Provision for income taxes			(2,027	)			(0.7	)			(1,579	)			(0.6	)			(448	)			28.4
Net loss		$	(7,865	)			(2.7	)		$	(32,471	)			(11.9	)		$	24,606				(75.8	)

 

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Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue

Company-operated restaurant revenue increased $19.6 million, or 7.7%, for fiscal 2012, primarily due to an increase in company-operated comparable restaurant sales of $21.4 million, or 8.6%. The growth in company-operated comparable restaurant sales was primarily due to an increase in average check size of 6.0% and an increase in traffic of 2.6% compared to the prior year. Restaurant revenue was also favorably impacted by $2.5 million of additional sales from restaurants not in the comparable restaurant base. This was partially offset by $3.2 million of lost sales from restaurants that closed in fiscal 2011. No company-operated restaurants were closed in fiscal 2012.

Franchise Revenue

Franchise revenue increased $0.8 million, or 4.5%, for fiscal 2012, primarily due to a $1.2 million increase in royalty income primarily due to higher franchised comparable restaurant sales of 11.0%. This increase was partially offset by the closure of 12 franchised restaurants in fiscal 2011, three closures in fiscal 2012 and a $0.4 million reduction in franchise development fees.

Food and Paper Costs

Food and paper costs increased $6.6 million for fiscal 2012, consisting of a $5.5 million increase in food costs and a $1.1 million increase in paper costs. The increase in food and paper costs resulted primarily from higher revenue and higher product costs related to chicken and packaging. Food and paper costs as a percentage of total revenue were 29.1% for fiscal 2012 compared to 28.9% for fiscal 2011. The percentage increase resulted primarily from food cost inflation and increases in packaging costs, partially offset by menu price increases.

Labor and Related Expenses

Payroll and benefit expenses increased $3.8 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to higher labor costs relating to increased sales volumes, and a $1.3 million increase in workers’ compensation expense due to higher payments and reserves required to cover various prior year claims. Increases in labor costs were partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in group health insurance due to lower year-over-year medical claims. Payroll and benefit expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 25.0% for fiscal 2012 compared to 25.5% for fiscal 2011. This decrease was primarily due to the leveraging effect of an increase in restaurant revenue, partially offset by the increase in workers’ compensation expense discussed above.

Occupancy and Other Operating Expenses

Occupancy and other operating expenses increased $2.4 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to a $0.9 million increase in advertising costs as a result of higher company-operated restaurant revenue, a $0.6 million increase in repair and maintenance expense, a $1.0 million increase in other operating expenses primarily due to higher operating supply costs and to credit and debit card processing fees primarily due to higher sales and a higher percentage of credit card transactions, and a $0.3 million increase in occupancy costs primarily due to higher general liability claims compared to the prior year. These increases were partially offset by lower utilities costs, primarily due to lower natural gas costs. Occupancy and other operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 21.0% for fiscal 2012 compared to 21.7% for fiscal 2011. This decrease was primarily due to higher restaurant revenue, partially offset by the higher expenses discussed above.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses increased $1.6 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to a $1.4 million increase in compensation expense as a result of increased profitability in fiscal 2012, a $0.3 million increase in restaurant opening expense, a $0.2 million increase in legal fees due to higher claims activity, and a $0.8 million increase in stock compensation expense due primarily to a grant of new stock options in fiscal 2012. These increases were partially offset by a $0.3 million decrease in outside services due to a reduction in consulting fees, a $0.2 million decrease in group health insurance primarily due to lower claims activity, and a $0.6 million reduction in payroll expense primarily due to a decrease in severance expense. General and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenue was 8.3% in fiscal 2012 compared to 8.4% in fiscal 2011 resulting primarily from higher revenue partially offset by the increase in general and administrative expenses discussed above.

 

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Franchise Expenses

Franchise expense decreased $0.2 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to a $0.4 million decrease in lease expense relating to subleased restaurants, partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in point-of-sales expenses to support more franchisees utilizing our point-of-sales system. Franchise expense as a percentage of total revenue was 1.2% for fiscal 2012 compared with 1.4% for fiscal 2011. This decrease was due to higher total revenue and to lower franchise expense, as discussed above.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization decreased $0.1 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to assets being fully depreciated and to the closure of six company-operated restaurants in fiscal 2011, partially offset by depreciation on equipment related to our restaurant remodeling program and four new company-operated restaurants that opened in fiscal 2012. Depreciation and amortization as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 3.2% for fiscal 2012 compared with 3.5% for fiscal 2011, primarily due to higher total revenue and the lower depreciation on restaurant equipment discussed above.

Loss on Disposal of Assets

Loss on disposal of assets was $1.0 million for fiscal 2012 compared to $0.2 million for fiscal 2011. This increase was primarily due to increased asset disposals as a result of an increase in the number of restaurants remodeled in fiscal 2012 compared to fiscal 2011.

Asset Impairment and Close-Store Reserves

Asset impairment and close-store reserve expense decreased $0.5 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to a decrease in non-cash impairment charges recorded to reduce the carrying values of certain assets to their estimated fair market values, partially offset by an increase in close-store reserve for costs related to one restaurant that was closed and for three restaurants which were being marketed for sublease. Asset impairment and close-store reserve as a percentage of total revenue decreased to 0.6% for fiscal 2012 compared with 0.7% for fiscal 2011. This decrease was due to higher total revenue and to the lower impairment and close-store expenses discussed above.

Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net, increased $1.2 million for fiscal 2012, primarily due to an increase in our average debt balances, the accretion of the 2018 Notes, which were issued at 3% discounts in conjunction with our debt refinancing on July 14, 2011, an increase in our weighted average interest rate after the debt refinancing, and an adjustment to market of our interest rate cap hedging agreement, purchased in conjunction with the requirements of our credit agreements.

Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt

We recorded a $20.2 million charge in fiscal 2011 relating to the early extinguishment of debt. This charge resulted from call premiums of $12.7 million, a write-off of deferred financing costs of $6.1 million and accelerated accretion of $1.5 million on our outstanding 11.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2012, 11.75% Senior Notes due 2013 and 14.5% Senior Discount Notes due 2014 that were tendered pursuant to our refinancing on July 14, 2011. No such charge was incurred in fiscal 2012.

Provision for Income Taxes

Despite having a net loss in both fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011, our provision for income taxes consisted of income tax expense of $2.0 million for fiscal 2012 and $1.6 million for fiscal 2011, primarily related to the effect of changes in our deferred taxes and the related effect of maintaining a full valuation allowance against certain of our deferred tax assets as of December 26, 2012, and December 28, 2011.

 

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Quarterly Financial Data

The following table presents select historical quarterly consolidated statements of operations data and other operations data through March 2014. This quarterly information has been prepared using our unaudited consolidated financial statements and includes all adjustments consisting only of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods.

 

		Fiscal Quarter Ended (Unaudited)
		2014				2013																2012
(Dollar amounts in thousands)		Mar.				Dec.				Sept.				June				Mar.				Dec.				Sept.				June				Mar.
Selected Financial Data
Total revenue ($)			81,427				76,238				79,767				81,727				76,995				72,071				76,335				74,723				70,481
Income from Operations ($)			11,510				9,676				10,651				12,181				9,884				5,203				8,947				9,235				9,667
Net income (loss) ($)			5,470	(2)			(18,141	)(3)			918				410				(60	)			(6,120	)(4)			(1,016	)			(524	)			(205	)
Adjusted EBITDA ($)			14,869				13,016				13,725				15,391				12,887				9,889				12,116				12,563				12,266
Selected Operated Data
Number of restaurants (at period end)
Company-operated			168				168				168				167				169				169				169				165				165
Franchised			233				233				231				231				229				229				229				229				230
System-wide			401				401				399				398				398				398				398				394				395
Average unit volume (company-operated)(1)			1,813				1,707				1,772				1,833				1,718				1,590				1,721				1,705				1,608
Comparable restaurant sales growth (%)
Company-operated			5.4				5.4				2.2				6.9				6.7				6.8				10.1				8.5				8.8
Franchised			8.3				7.7				5.4				11.7				10.5				10.4				13.2				10.2				9.9
System-wide			7.2				6.5				3.7				9.6				8.5				8.6				12.0				9.5				9.5
Restaurant contribution margin (%)			22.1				20.4				20.7				22.5				20.5				18.0				19.6				20.3				21.3

(1)	AUVs consist of average annualized sales of all company-owned restaurants over the trailing 12 periods in a typical operating year.

(2)	The 2013 Refinancing resulted in lower interest rates on our indebtedness, which has contributed to lower interest expense and higher net income in subsequent periods.

(3)

During the 14 weeks ended December 25, 2013, we refinanced our $12.5 million first lien revolving credit facility, $170 million first lien term loan facility and our 2018 notes by entering into our current senior secured credit facilities. The 2013 Refinancing resulted in a one time charge to our consolidated statement of operations of $21.5 million, reflecting call premiums on the retired debt obligations and expense related to unamortized deferred financing cost and unamortized discounts.

(4)	The more significant components of the loss in the 13 weeks ended December 26, 2012 reflect a tax expense of approximately $1.6 million and close-store reserves of approximately $1.1 million.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary sources of liquidity and capital resources have been cash provided from operations, cash and cash equivalents, and our senior secured credit facilities. Our primary requirements for liquidity and capital are new restaurants, existing restaurant capital investments (remodels and maintenance), principal and interest payments on our debt, lease obligations and working capital and general corporate needs. Our working capital requirements are not significant since our customers pay for their purchases in cash or by payment card (credit or debit) at the time of sale. Thus, we are able to sell many of our inventory items before we have to pay our suppliers for such items. Our restaurants do not require significant inventories or receivables. We believe these sources of liquidity and capital will be sufficient to finance our continued operations and expansion plans for at least the next 12 months.

In October 2013, we refinanced our $12.5 million first lien revolving credit facility, $170 million first lien term loan facility and $105 million 17% Second Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2018 by entering into our current senior secured credit facilities, which include our $15 million first lien Revolving Credit Facility, $190 million First Lien Term Loan Facility and $100 million Second Lien Term Loan Facility. Our senior secured credit facilities carry longer maturities and lower interest rates than the indebtedness they replaced.

Following the completion of this offering and the use of proceeds described herein, our outstanding indebtedness (assuming debt balances as of December 25, 2013) will be reduced by approximately $             million, or     %, and our annualized interest expense will decline by approximately $             million (including the elimination of approximately

 

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$             million of annual interest expense relating to our Second Lien Term Loan Facility), which would have represented a reduction of approximately     % of our $36.3 million of interest expense for fiscal 2013.

The following table presents summary cash flow information for the periods indicated (in thousands).

 

		Thirteen Weeks Ended								Fiscal Year Ended
(Amounts in thousands)		March 26, 2014				March 27, 2013				2013				2012				2011
Net cash provided by (used in)
Operating activities		$	7,582			$	(3,076	)		$	19,700			$	19,409			$	6,454
Investing activities			(3,661	)			(3,324	)			(13,787	)			(14,993	)			(3,709	)
Financing activities			(539	)			(479	)			(10,385	)			(1,920	)			(6,469	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash		$	3,382			$	(6,879	)		$	(4,472	)		$	2,496			$	(3,724	)

Operating Activities

For the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, compared to the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013, net cash provided by operating activities increased by $10.7 million primarily due to cash generated by increased revenue as a result of company comparable sales growth and lower interest payments resulting from the refinancing of our credit facilities in October 2013. The refinancing of our credit facilities resulted in lower interest payments due primarily to lower interest rates and the payment of accrued interest at the time of the refinancing resulting in lower interest payments for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 compared to the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013.

For fiscal 2013, net cash provided by operating activities increased by $0.3 million as cash generated by increased revenue was partially offset by an increase in cash payments for interest expense due to our refinancing of our debt in October 2013, which required payment of accrued interest through the closing date of the refinancing.

Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $12.9 million in fiscal 2012 versus fiscal 2011 primarily due to increased revenue as a result of company comparable sales growth and higher franchise royalties.

Investing Activities

For the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, compared to the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2013, cash used in investing activities increased by $0.3 million primarily due to increased capital expenditures related to the remodeling of restaurants.

Cash used in investing activities declined by $1.2 million in fiscal 2013 versus fiscal 2012 primarily due to reduced capital expenditures. Capital expenditures consist of cash paid related to new restaurant construction, the remodel and maintenance of existing restaurants and other corporate expenditures.

Cash used in investing activities increased by $11.3 million in fiscal 2012 versus fiscal 2011 primarily due to increased capital spending for new restaurants and remodels.

We intend to spend approximately $26.0 million to $30.0 million in fiscal 2014 on capital expenditures, including $11.0 million to $14.0 million for new restaurant construction, $5.0 million to $7.0 million for remodeling and $9.0 million to $10.0 million on equipment and other capital goods.

Financing Activities

For both the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 and March 27, 2013, cash used in financing activities was $0.5 million.

Cash used in financing activities increased by $8.5 million in fiscal 2013 versus fiscal 2012 primarily due to costs incurred to refinance EPL’s former senior secured credit facility and the 2018 Notes on October 11, 2013.

Cash used in financing activities decreased by $4.5 million in fiscal 2012 versus fiscal 2011 primarily due to $25.9 million in costs incurred to refinance EPL’s former debt facilities, netted against capital contributions of $22.6 million and a net payout of debt of $2.9 million.

 

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Debt and Other Obligations

Senior Secured Credit Facilities

On October 11, 2013, EPL entered into (i) a first lien credit agreement (the “First Lien Credit Agreement”) with Intermediate as guarantor, Jefferies Finance LLC as administrative agent and collateral agent, General Electric Capital Corporation as issuing bank and swing line lender, Golub Capital LLC as syndication agent and with various lenders and (ii) a second lien credit agreement (the “Second Lien Credit Agreement”) with Intermediate as guarantor, Jefferies Finance LLC as administrative agent and collateral agent and with various lenders.

The First Lien Credit Agreement provides for a $15 million revolving credit facility (including obligations in respect of revolving loans, swing line loans and letters of credit) (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) and a $190 million first lien term loan facility (the “First Lien Term Loan Facility”) and bears interest at an adjusted LIBOR Rate (with a 1% floor) or Alternate Base Rate plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin is 4.25% with respect to adjusted LIBOR advances and 3.25% with respect to Alternate Base Rate advances. The Revolving Credit Facility and First Lien Term Loan Facility are secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the assets of EPL and Intermediate. The Revolving Credit Facility and First Lien Term Loan Facility mature on October 11, 2018. Under the Revolving Credit Facility, EPL had $7.3 million in letters of credit outstanding and $7.7 million available for borrowing as of March 26, 2014.

The Second Lien Credit Agreement provides for a $100 million Second Lien Term Loan Facility (the “Second Lien Term Loan Facility”) and bears interest at an adjusted LIBOR or Alternate Base Rate plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin rate is 8.50% with respect to adjusted LIBOR advances and 7.50% with respect to Alternate Base Rate advances. The Second Lien Term Loan Facility is secured by a second priority lien on substantially all of the assets of EPL and Intermediate. The Second Lien Term Loan Facility matures on April 11, 2019.

Our senior secured credit facilities contain a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, EPL’s ability to (i) incur additional indebtedness, (ii) issue preferred stock, (iii) create liens on assets, (iv) engage in mergers or consolidations, (v) sell assets, (vi) make investments, loans or advances, (vii) make certain acquisitions, (viii) engage in certain transactions with affiliates, (ix) authorize or pay dividends and (x) change its lines of business or fiscal year. In addition, our senior secured credit facilities require EPL to maintain, on a consolidated basis, a minimum interest coverage ratio and not to exceed a maximum total leverage ratio. As of the date of this prospectus, we were in compliance with our senior secured credit facilities’ financial covenants.

Hedging Arrangements

In connection with our credit agreements, we entered into two interest rate caps with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. The first interest rate cap is for a notional amount of $30 million with a cap rate of 3.00% based on 1 month USD LIBOR and terminates on December 1, 2015. The second interest rate cap is for a notional amount of $120 million with a cap rate of 3.00% based on 1 month USD LIBOR and terminates on December 1, 2016.

Contractual Obligations

The following table represents our contractual commitments (which include expected interest expense, calculated based on current interest rates) to make future payments pursuant to our debt and other obligations disclosed above and pursuant to our restaurant operating leases outstanding as of March 26, 2014:

 

		Payments Due by Period
(Amounts in thousands)		Total				2014				2015- 2016				2017- 2018				2019 and thereafter
Operating leases		$	154,699			$	13,984			$	33,185			$	29,282			$	78,248
Capital leases			1,510				312				578				371				249
Long-term debt			383,723				16,278				43,371				222,661				101,413
Total		$	539,932			$	30,574			$	77,134			$	252,314			$	179,910

 

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Off-Balance Sheet and Other Arrangements

At March 26, 2014, December 25, 2013, December 26, 2012 and December 28, 2011, we had $7.7 million, $7.7 million, $7.0 million and $6.5 million, respectively, of borrowing capacity on the Revolving Credit Facility and EPL’s former revolving credit facility pledged as collateral to secure outstanding letters of credit.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates on our debt, which bears interest at variable rates and has a USD LIBOR floor of 1.00%. As of March 26, 2014, we had outstanding borrowings of $288.8 million and another $7.3 million of letters of credit in support of our insurance programs. A 1.00% increase in the effective interest rate applied to these borrowings would result in a pre-tax interest expense increase of $3.0 million on an annualized basis.

We manage our interest rate risk through normal operating and financing activities and, when determined appropriate, through the use of derivative financial instruments.

To mitigate exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, we entered into two interest rate caps as discussed above under “—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Debt and Other Obligations—Hedging Arrangements” above.

Inflation

Inflation has an impact on food, paper, construction, utility, labor and benefits, general and administrative and other costs, all of which can materially impact our operations. We have a substantial number of hourly employees who are paid wage rates at or based on the applicable federal or state minimum wage and increases in the minimum wage will increase our labor costs. The State of California (where most of our restaurants are located) has had a minimum wage of $8.00 per hour since January 1, 2008, which is scheduled to rise to $9.00 on July 1, 2014, and to $10.00 on January 1, 2016. In general, we have been able to substantially offset costs increases resulting from inflation by increasing menu prices, managing menu mix, improving productivity or through other adjustments. We may or may not be able to offset cost increases in the future.

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect our reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under current circumstances in making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily available from other sources. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Accounting policies are an integral part of our financial statements. A thorough understanding of these accounting policies is essential when reviewing our reported results of operations and our financial position. Management believes that the critical accounting policies and estimates discussed below involve the most difficult management judgments due to the sensitivity of the methods and assumptions used. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus.

Revenue Recognition

We record revenue from company-operated restaurants as food and beverage products are delivered to customers and payment is tendered at the time of sale. The Company presents sales net of sales-related taxes and promotional allowances. In the case of gift card sales, we record revenue when the gift card is redeemed by the customer. We record royalties from franchised restaurant sales based on a percentage of restaurant revenues in the period the related franchised restaurants’ revenues are earned. Area development fees and franchise fees are recognized as income when all material services or conditions relating to the sale of the franchise have been substantially performed or satisfied by

 

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us. Both franchise fees and area development fees are generally recognized as income upon the opening of a franchised restaurant or upon termination of the related agreement(s).

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible assets consist primarily of goodwill and trademarks.

We do not amortize our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. We perform an impairment test annually at the end of each fiscal year. In our annual goodwill impairment assessment at December 25, 2013, we concluded that the fair value of the reporting unit to which goodwill was assigned exceeded our book equity. Accordingly, we did not identify any goodwill impairment. We considered fair value under both income and market comparable approaches, with a weighting of 33% each to a discounted cash flow, a guideline public company analysis and a transaction analysis. The key assumptions in the discounted cash flow model included the discount and growth rates.

In our impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets at December 25, 2013, we concluded that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeded their carrying value and that there was no impairment. We used a relief from royalty methodology to calculate the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. The key assumptions in the relief from royalty model include a discount rate and growth rates.

These assumptions used in our estimates of fair value are generally consistent with past performance and are also consistent with the projections and assumptions that we use in our forward-looking operating plans. These assumptions are subject to change as a result of changing economic and competitive conditions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect our determinations of fair value and impairment.

Long-Lived Assets

We state the value of our property and equipment, including primarily leasehold improvements and restaurant equipment, furniture and fixtures at cost, minus accumulated depreciation and amortization. We calculate depreciation using the straight-line method of accounting over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. We amortize our leasehold improvements using the straight-line method of accounting over the shorter of the lease term (including reasonably assured renewal periods) or the estimated useful lives of the related assets. We expense repairs and maintenance as incurred, but capitalize major improvements and betterments. We make judgments and estimates related to the expected useful lives of those assets that are affected by factors such as changes in economic conditions and changes in operating performance. If we change our assumptions in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges for these assets.

Insurance Reserves

We are responsible for workers’ compensation, general and health insurance claims up to a specified amount. We maintain a reserve for estimated claims both reported and incurred but not reported, based on historical claims experience and other assumptions. In estimating our insurance accruals, we utilize independent actuarial estimates of expected losses, which are based on statistical analyses of historical data. Our actuarial assumptions are closely monitored and adjusted when warranted by changing circumstances. Should claims occur or medical costs increase in greater amounts than we have expected, accruals may not be sufficient, and we may record additional expenses.

Accounting for Lease Obligations

We lease a substantial number of our restaurant properties. At the inception of each lease, we evaluate the property and the lease to determine whether the lease is an operating lease or a capital lease. This lease accounting evaluation may require significant judgment in determining the fair value and useful life of the leased property and the appropriate lease term. The lease term used for the evaluation includes renewal option periods only in instances in which the exercise of the renewal option can be reasonably assured because failure to exercise such an option would result in an economic penalty. Such an economic penalty would typically result from our having to abandon a building or fixture with remaining economic value upon vacating a property.

 

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Franchise Operations

We sublease a number of restaurant properties to our franchisees. As such, we remain principally liable for the underlying leases. If sales trends or economic conditions worsen for our franchisees, their financial health may worsen, our collection rates may decline, and we may be required to assume the responsibility for additional lease payments on what are presently franchised restaurants.

Income Taxes

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. As of March 26, 2014, we had federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $118 million and $122 million, respectively. These NOLs expire beginning in 2024 and 2014, respectively.

As of March 26, 2014, we maintained a full valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets as we have experienced continuing taxable losses, and accordingly have not recognized a benefit for NOL carryforwards or other deferred tax assets in the years ended December 25, 2013 and December 26, 2012 or in the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014.

A valuation allowance is required when there is significant uncertainty as to the realizability of deferred tax assets. The ability to realize deferred tax assets is dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient taxable income within the carryforward periods provided for in the tax law for each tax jurisdiction. We have considered the following possible sources of taxable income when assessing the realization of our deferred tax assets:

 

•

future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences;

 

•

future taxable income or loss, exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards;

 

•

tax-planning strategies; and

 

•

taxable income in prior carryback years.

Because we have generated losses in recent years, our conclusion is that we cannot rely on our long-term financial forecasts to a more-likely-than-not level. Therefore, we have determined that we do not meet the “more likely than not” threshold that NOLs, tax credits and other deferred tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, a valuation allowance is required.

The largest components of the loss generated in the year ended December 25, 2013 related to interest expense on our long term debt of $36.3 million and to loss on early extinguishment of debt of $21.5 million. As discussed under “Use of Proceeds,” we intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay in whole or in part our existing second lien term loan facility. Accordingly, this offering is expected to reduce our interest expense in future years and may result in taxable income, and we may realize a three-year cumulative accounting profit in the future. Because this event is a contingent future event, the potential impact of such a future debt repayment cannot yet be factored into our financial results. If these events occur, we will also consider other factors in evaluating the continued need for a full, or partial, valuation allowance. These factors include:

 

•

current financial performance;

 

•

our ability to meet short-term and long-term financial and taxable income projections;

 

•

the overall market environment; and

 

•

the volatility and trend of the industry in which we operate.

All of the factors that we consider in evaluating whether and when to release all or a portion of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance involve significant judgment. For example, there are many different interpretations of

 

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“cumulative losses in recent years” that can be used. Also, significant judgment is involved in making projections of future financial and taxable income, especially because our financial results are significantly dependent upon industry trends. Any reversal of the valuation allowance will favorably impact our results of operations in the period of reversal.

When there are uncertainties related to potential income tax benefits, in order to qualify for recognition, the position we take has to have at least a “more likely than not” chance of being sustained (based on the position’s technical merits) upon challenge by the responsible authorities. The term “more likely than not” means a likelihood of more than 50 percent. Otherwise, we may not recognize any of the potential tax benefits associated with the position. We recognize a benefit for a tax position that meets the “more likely than not” criterion as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon its effective resolution. Unrecognized tax benefits involve our judgment regarding the likelihood of a benefit being sustained. The final resolutions of uncertain tax positions could result in adjustments to recorded amounts and affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows; however, we anticipate that any such adjustments would not materially impact our financial statements. As of March 26, 2014, we have not recorded any uncertain tax positions.

Stock-Based Compensation

We measure and recognize compensation expense for the estimated fair value of stock options for employees and non-employee directors and similar awards based on the grant-date fair value of the award. For options that are based on a service requirement, the cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, usually the vesting period. The options granted in fiscal 2012 had a three-year vesting period (with 25% of the options vesting immediately), while the options granted in fiscal 2013 had a four-year vesting period. For options that are based on performance requirements, costs are recognized over the periods to which the performance criteria relate.

In order to calculate our stock options’ fair values and the associated compensation costs for share-based awards, we utilize the Black-Scholes option pricing model, and we have developed estimates of various inputs including forfeiture rate, expected term, expected volatility and risk-free interest rate. These assumptions generally require significant judgment. The forfeiture rate is based on historical rates and reduces the compensation expense recognized. The expected term for options granted is derived using the “simplified” method, in accordance with SEC guidance. Expected volatility is estimated using four publicly-traded peer companies in our market category. These are selected based on similarities of size and other financial and operational characteristics. Volatility is calculated with reference to the historical daily closing equity prices of our peer companies, prior to the grant date, over a period equal to the expected term. We calculate the risk-free interest rate using the implied yield for a U.S. Treasury security with constant maturity and a remaining term equal to the expected term of our employee stock options. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future and therefore use an expected dividend yield of zero for option valuation purposes.

The following table summarizes the assumptions relating to our stock options for the years ended December 25, 2013 and December 26, 2012. No stock options were granted for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014.

 

		Fiscal Year Ended
		2013				2012
Risk-free interest rates			1.15% to 1.99%				1.02%
Expected term			6.25 years				5.75 years
Expected dividend yield			0%				0%
Volatility			40.6%				39.0%

If in the future we determine that another method is more reasonable, or if another method for calculating these input assumptions is prescribed by authoritative guidance, and, therefore, should be used to estimate volatility or expected life, the fair value calculated for our stock options could change significantly. Higher volatility and longer expected lives result in an increase to stock-based compensation expense determined at the date of grant. Stock-based compensation expense affects our general and administrative expense.

We estimate our forfeiture rate based on an analysis of our actual forfeitures and will continue to evaluate the appropriateness of the forfeiture rate based on actual forfeiture experience, analysis of employee turnover behavior and other factors. Changes in the estimated forfeiture rate can have a significant effect on reported stock-based compensation expense, as the cumulative effect of adjusting the rate for all expense amortization is recognized in the

 

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period the forfeiture estimate is changed. If a revised forfeiture rate is higher than the previously estimated forfeiture rate, an adjustment is made that will result in a decrease to the stock-based compensation expense recognized in the financial statements. If a revised forfeiture rate is lower than the previously estimated forfeiture rate, an adjustment is made that will result in an increase to the stock-based compensation expense recognized in the financial statements. The effect of forfeiture adjustments was insignificant for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014 and for the years ended December 25, 2013 and December 26, 2012. We will continue to use significant judgment in evaluating the expected term, volatility and forfeiture rate related to our stock-based compensation.

It is necessary to estimate the fair value of the common stock underlying our equity awards when computing fair value calculations under the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair value of our common stock was assessed on each grant date by our board of directors. Given the absence of an active market for our common stock, our board of directors estimated our common stock’s fair value based on an analysis of a number of objective and subjective factors that we believe market participants would consider in valuing it, including the following:

 

•

financial metrics, including, but not limited to, our results of operations and history of losses;

 

•

the valuation of our common stock by an unrelated third-party valuation firm;

 

•

the hiring of key personnel;

 

•

the introduction of new products;

 

•

the fact that the option grants involve illiquid securities in a private company;

 

•

the risks inherent in the development and expansion of our products and services; and

 

•

the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or sale of our company, given prevailing market conditions.

We have historically granted stock options with exercise prices not less than the fair value of our common stock underlying such stock options, as determined on the date of grant by our board of directors, with input from our management and from an independent third-party valuation expert. In fiscal 2013 and 2012, we granted stock options with strike prices of $50 per share, which was in excess of the estimated fair value of our common stock on the grant dates. These options, granted at strike prices in excess of fair market value, were intended to incentivize management to increase profitability and expand our business. The following table summarizes, by grant date, the stock options granted since December 26, 2012 and their associated per share exercise prices:

 

Grant Date		Common Shares Underlying Options Granted				Exercise Price Per Share				Fair Value Per Common Share as Determined by Our Board at Grant Date
April 11-22, 2013			8,250			$	35.00			$	35.00
April 11-22, 2013			16,500			$	50.00			$	35.00
July 15-29, 2013			23,000			$	35.00			$	35.00
July 15-29, 2013			46,000			$	50.00			$	35.00

The independent third-party valuation was prepared using methodologies, approaches and assumptions consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) Audit and Accounting Practice Aid Series: Valuation of Privately Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, or the AICPA Practice Guide. We used a combination of the income and market approaches to estimate our aggregate enterprise value. The income approach measures the value of a company as the present value of its future economic benefits by applying an appropriate risk-adjusted discount rate to expected cash flows, based on forecasted revenues and costs. We prepared a financial forecast to be used in the computation of the enterprise value for the income approach. The financial forecasts

 

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took into account our past experience and future expectations. The risks associated with achieving these forecasts were assessed in selecting the appropriate discount rate. There is inherent uncertainty in these estimates. The market approach measures the value of a company based on applying observed EBITDA multiples from comparable public companies, and applying a multiple derived therefrom to its EBITDA.

In order to arrive at the estimated fair value of our common stock, our indicated enterprise value was then increased by cash on hand and reduced by the value of long-term debt and the fair value of the stock options. In our annual common stock valuation assessment at December 26, 2012, we considered fair value under both the income and the market approaches, with a weighting of 33% each to the discounted cash flow model, the guideline public company analysis and the transaction analysis. The key assumptions in the discounted cash flow model include discount and growth rates. For the guideline public company analysis, we applied multiples to our 2012 actual EBITDA and 2013 budgeted EBITDA based on an average of the first quartile and median multiples observed from analysts for seventeen comparable public companies in the QSR sector. For the transaction analysis, we applied a multiple to our 2013 actual EBITDA, based on the third quartile multiple observed from analysts for seventeen comparable public companies in the QSR sector. Furthermore, the estimated fair value of our common stock at each grant date reflected non-marketability discounts.

The estimates used in determining the fair value of our common stock are considered highly complex and subject to significant judgment. For example, the percentage weighting that is used between the different valuation approaches, the selection of the comparable public companies used in the guideline public company analysis, and the non-marketability discount used can all have different assumptions. There is also inherent uncertainty in our forecasts and projections. If we had made different assumptions and estimates than those described previously, the amount of our stock-based compensation expense, net income (loss), and net income (loss) per share amounts could have been materially different. Such estimates will not be necessary to determine fair value of new awards once the underlying shares begin trading.

Our board of directors intended that all options granted be exercisable at prices per share not less than the per share fair market value of our common stock underlying those options on the date of grant. The following is a discussion of all options we have granted since December 26, 2012 and the significant factors contributing to the difference between fair values as of the date of each grant and estimated IPO price:

April 11-22, 2013—Options granted on these dates had exercise prices of either $35.00 or $50.00 per share, which was equal to, or greater than, the fair value of our common stock as determined by our board of directors on each grant date. In conjunction with our year-end procedures, our board of directors obtained a third-party valuation of our common stock in December 2012, which suggested a fair value of $35.00 per share. Our board of directors considered this valuation together with other objective and subjective factors in reaching its determination of the fair value of our common stock as of April 2013. In particular, our board of directors considered the general financial condition of the business, the continued illiquidity of our common stock given our status as a private company, the general likelihood of a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or sale of us or our capital resources at that time and the risks and uncertainties associated with further development and expansion of our business. Our board of directors considered that our financial performance continued to improve, but our board also noted that improvements were in line with the expectations included in the December 2012 valuation.

July 15-29, 2013—Options granted on these dates had exercise prices of either $35.00 or $50.00 per share, which was equal to, or greater than, the fair value of our common stock as determined by our board of directors on each grant date. In conjunction with our year-end procedures, our board of directors obtained a third-party valuation of our common stock as of December 2012, which suggested a fair value of $35.00 per share. Our board of directors considered this valuation together with other objective and subjective factors in reaching its determination of the fair value of our common stock as of July 2013. In particular, our board of directors considered the general financial condition of the business, the continued illiquidity of our common stock given our status as a private company, the continued likelihood of a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or sale of us or our capital resources at that time and the risks and uncertainties associated with further development and expansion of our business. Our board of directors considered that our financial performance continued to improve, but our board also noted that improvements were in line with the expectations included in the December 2012 valuation.

Based upon these considerations, our board of directors determined that no significant change in our business or in expectations of our future business had occurred as of each grant date since the December 2012 valuation that warranted

 

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materially different determinations for the value of our common stock than those suggested by the board’s original determination in December 2012 and by the corresponding contemporaneous independent third-party valuation.

The valuation that we obtained as of December 25, 2013 resulted in a fair value of $79.75 per share of common stock. The increase as compared to the 2012 valuation was driven largely by the increase in EBITDA multiples that comparable public companies are trading at, higher multiples that recent transactions have been priced at and the increase in the Company’s revenue and EBITDA growth rates used in the December 25, 2013 valuation (based upon two years of consistent revenue growth). Further, we reduced the discount for lack of marketability between 2012 and 2013, based on the increase in the potential for an initial public offering at the end of 2013. There were no changes in the weightings for the income and market based approaches. We believe it is reasonable to expect that the completion of an initial public offering will add value to the shares of our common stock because they will have increased liquidity and marketability.

 

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BUSINESS

Company Overview

It All Starts with Our Chicken

El Pollo Loco is a differentiated and growing restaurant concept that specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken in front of our customers. We operate within the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry, the LSR segment. We believe we offer the quality of food typical of fast casual restaurants while providing the speed, convenience and value typical of traditional QSRs, a combination which we call “QSR+” and which provides a value-oriented fast casual dining experience. Our distinctive menu features our signature product—citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken—and a variety of Mexican-inspired entrees that we create from our chicken. Every day in every restaurant’s kitchen we marinate and fire-grill our chicken over open flames, hand-slice whole tomatoes, avocados, serrano peppers and cilantro to make our salsas, guacamole and cilantro dressings from scratch. The open design of our kitchens reveal our Mexican-inspired cooking process and allow our customers to watch our Grill Masters and team members fire-grill and hand-cut our signature chicken, as well as make burritos, salads, tostadas, bowls, stuffed quesadillas and chicken entrees.

We offer our customers healthier alternatives to traditional food on the go, served by our engaging team members in a colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environment. We serve individual and family-sized chicken meals, a variety of Mexican-inspired entrees, sides, and, throughout the year, on a limited-time basis, alternative proteins like shrimp, carnitas and beef. Our entrees include favorites such as our Poblano Burrito, Under 500 Calorie Mango Grilled Tostada, Ultimate Pollo Bowl, Grand Baja Shrimp Tacos and Chicken, Bacon and Guacamole Stuffed Quesadilla. Our freshly-prepared salsas and dressings are prepared daily allowing our customers to create their favorite flavor profiles to enhance their culinary experience. Our distinctive menu with healthier alternatives appeals to consumers across a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds and drives our balanced day-part mix.

El Pollo Loco is Spanish for “The Crazy Chicken.” We opened our first location on Alvarado Street in Los Angeles, California in 1980, and have grown our restaurant system to 401 restaurants, comprised of 168 company-operated and 233 franchised restaurants as of March 26, 2014. Our restaurants are located in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Utah. Our typical restaurant is a free-standing building with drive-thru service that ranges in size from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet with seating for approximately 70 people. Our restaurants generated company-operated restaurant revenue of $294.3 million and $76.2 million and system-wide sales of $657.6 million and $172.0 million, for the year ended December 25, 2013 and the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, respectively.

We believe the quality of our food and dining experience and the affordable prices we offer our customers drive our operating results, as illustrated by the following:

 

•

we achieved positive comparable restaurant sales growth in 11 consecutive quarters through our fiscal quarter ended March 26, 2014;

 

•

our annual AUVs grew from $1.5 million in 2011 to $1.8 million in 2013;

 

•

from 2011 to 2013, we increased our restaurant contribution margin for our company-operated restaurants by 230 basis points to 21.0% and from March 27, 2013 to March 26, 2014, we increased our restaurant contribution margin for our company-operated restaurants by 160 basis points to 22.1%; and

 

•

from 2011 to 2013, we increased our total revenue by 15.2% to $314.7 million, increased our Adjusted EBITDA (as defined under “Prospectus Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data” above) by 39.2% to $55.0 million, and decreased our net loss from $32.5 million to $16.9 million. Included in our net loss figures for 2011 and 2013 were expenses for early extinguishment of debt totaling $20.2 million and $21.5 million, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision of income taxes and depreciation and amortization, and adjusted to exclude the impact of items that we do not consider representative of our ongoing operating performance, as identified in the reconciliation table above, under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Key Performance Indicators—EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA.”

 

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Seasonal factors and the timing of holidays cause our revenue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Our revenue per restaurant is typically lower in the first and fourth quarters due to reduced January and December traffic and higher in the second and third quarters.

Our Industry

According to Technomic, 2013 total sales increased 3.8% to $193.3 billion for LSRs in the Technomic Top 500. In 2013, the Mexican and chicken menu categories for LSRs in the Technomic Top 500 grew 6.8% and 4.6%, respectively, outpacing the broader LSR category. We operate within the broader LSR segment, and we believe we offer the food and dining experience of a fast-casual restaurant and the speed, value and convenience of a QSR. We believe our value-oriented fast casual positioning best aligns with the overall growth characteristics of the fast-casual restaurants because we believe we offer the method of preparation, quality of food and dining experience typical of fast casual restaurants. According to Technomic, the fast casual sub-segment grew 11% in 2013, to $27.1 billion in total sales. Technomic projects the total fast-casual sub-segment to grow to $50 billion by 2017. We believe our differentiated menu, colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environments and convenient locations position us to compete successfully against other fast-casual and QSR concepts, providing us with a large addressable market.

We believe we are also well positioned to benefit from a number of culinary and demographic trends in the United States. We expect that the trend towards healthier eating will attract and increase consumer demand for fresh and hand-prepared dishes, leading to a positive impact on our sales. Furthermore, as indicated by recent high growth in the Mexican restaurant segment, we expect to benefit from increased acceptance of Mexican food in the United States in the general market. Finally, we also anticipate benefits from the continued growth of the Hispanic population in the United States, which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, has grown from 50.5 million people in 2009 to 53 million people in 2012, and is projected to reach 78.7 million in 2030. The growth of the Hispanic population is expected to outpace overall population growth, and the Hispanic population as a percentage of the total U.S. population is expected to increase from 16.3% in 2011 to 21.9% by 2030.

Our Competitive Strengths

Putting the “Loco” in El Pollo Loco

We believe the following strengths differentiate us from our competitors and serve as the foundation for our continued growth:

“Loco-ly” Differentiated Restaurant Concept with Broad Appeal.  We believe our food, served in colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environments at reasonable prices, positions us well to satisfy the needs of a large segment of time-pressured mainstream food enthusiasts who seek real food, real fast and at reasonable prices. We provide our customers with the opportunity to enjoy citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken and Mexican-inspired entrees containing distinctive ingredients such as avocados, mangos and Serrano peppers at price points that appeal to a broad consumer base. Our per-person spend of approximately $5.83 for the year ended December 25, 2013, is competitive not only within the fast-casual segment, but also within the QSR segment. We prepare our entrees to order in approximately four minutes and allow our customers the option to create their favorite flavor profiles using our freshly-prepared salsas before they enjoy their meal in one of our dining rooms or take their meals to go from the counter or the drive-thru. We also believe that our concept, which integrates the complexity of creating real food in real kitchens with the speed of our service model and the skill of our trained and certified Grill Masters, provides a layer of competitive insulation around our restaurant model. Based on an external research report and a customer satisfaction survey, we believe our positioning appeals to a broad customer base, and that our brand crosses over traditional age, ethnic and income demographics; giving today’s consumers the best of both the fast casual dining and QSR segments. Our differentiated QSR+ positioning sources traffic from both dining segments and as a result continues to fuel our organic transaction growth.

Mexican-Inspired, Fresh-Made “Crazy You Can Taste” Fire-Grilled Chicken and Entrees.  Our signature product is our chicken marinated with a proprietary recipe of citrus, garlic and spices, which serves as the foundation of our distinctive menu of flavorful bone-in chicken meals and Mexican-inspired entrees. With menu items such as our Chicken Avocado Burrito, Chicken Tostada Salad, Pollo Bowl and Chicken Avocado Stuffed Quesadilla, we believe we offer our customers a healthier alternative to traditional food on-the-go. Our entrees are prepared using fresh

 

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ingredients in recipes inspired by Mexican cuisine. The majority of our menu items are made from scratch, including our bone-in chicken and chicken breasts, rice, salsas, guacamole and cilantro dressing, meaning that we make them without pre-prepared ingredients. These items start with our chicken, which is marinated in our restaurants daily. From there, our Grill Masters fire-grill and hand-chop our chicken, forming the foundation of our entrees. To complement our entrees, our team members slice whole tomatoes, avocados, serrano peppers and cilantro to create our salsas, guacamole and cilantro dressings. In addition, our rice is sautéed, seasoned and simmered in our restaurants daily. Our salsas and dressings complement our recipes and allow our customers to enhance their culinary experience with customized flavor profiles.

Our strategic approach to menu design has resulted in a balanced menu with broad appeal, as demonstrated by a balanced day-part mix. Our bone-in chicken meals and Mexican-inspired entrees accounted for 47% and 53% of our company-operated restaurant sales, respectively, for the year ended December 25, 2013. Our individual and family-sized chicken meals appeal to customers looking to dine at the restaurant or take out during dinner time, while our more-portable Mexican-inspired entrees draw traffic from customers at lunch time or for an afternoon snack, enabling us to generate sales almost equally between lunch and dinner. We believe our family-sized chicken meals provide a healthier and convenient alternative for mothers and families looking to solve the “dinnertime dilemma” of providing their families with high-quality meals without investing significant time or money. For the year ended December 25, 2013, approximately 28% of our company-operated sales were generated from family-sized meals.

Inviting Experience That Welcomes Our Customers.  We believe our new Hacienda restaurant design creates an inviting restaurant environment. The exteriors of our restaurants feature a signature grill architectural element that reinforces our core brand, and our interiors feature large, open kitchens that allow customers to watch our Grill Masters prepare our fire-grilled chicken. Our restaurants also feature complimentary self-serve salsa bars that are located at the front of our restaurants for added convenience. The salsa bar invites customers to customize their meals with several salsas prepared fresh every day. Our colorful and contemporary dining rooms include both comfortable booths and chairs, while large windows and soft lighting fill our restaurants with light and warmth. Our customers are responding positively to our new Hacienda design, as comparable restaurant sales have increased on average an additional 3% at remodeled locations. We expect to have remodeled over 50% of our restaurant system by the end of 2014 and to have completed the remodeling program by 2018.

We believe the atmosphere and quality of service we provide our customers encourages repeat visits and brand advocacy and drives increased sales. Our team members are trained to engage with our customers in a genuine way to provide a personalized experience and strive to make each experience in our restaurant better than the last.

Well-Developed Operations Infrastructure that Allows for Real-time Control, Fast Feedback and Innovation.  We believe satisfying our customers’ dining needs is the foundation of our business and we have a well-developed operations platform that allows us to measure our performance in meeting and exceeding those needs. We utilize a state-of-the-art operations dashboard that aggregates real-time, restaurant level information from nearly every aspect of our business. The dashboard provides corporate and field management, as well as restaurant-level operators, insight into how we are performing both from the customer’s perspective but also through the eyes of experienced internal auditors. To put the metrics into perspective, we are able to measure current performance against benchmarks derived from a broad selection of fast casual and QSR brands. At the restaurant level, we use sophisticated technology to constantly monitor key operational data regarding sales performance, speed of service metrics, and food and labor cost controls. The intelligence provided by our operations infrastructure allows both our company-operated and our franchised restaurant managers to make rapid and objective decisions to maintain our standards for food and service.

Developing High AUVs and Strong Unit Economics One Chicken at a Time.  We believe our differentiated QSR+ positioning drives restaurant operating results that are competitive with other leading restaurant concepts in both the fast-casual and QSR industry segments. Our restaurant model is designed to generate strong cash flow, consistent restaurant-level financial results and high returns on invested capital. For the year ended December 25, 2013, our company-operated restaurants generated an average annual sales per restaurant of approximately $1.8 million and restaurant level contribution margins of 21.0%.

Experienced Leadership.  Our senior management team has extensive operating experience, with an average of over 20 years of experience each in the restaurant industry. We are led by our Chief Executive Officer, Steve Sather, who joined us in 2006. Since naming Steve our CEO in January 2011, we have further enhanced our senior leadership

 

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team by adding Larry Roberts as our Chief Financial Officer, Ed Valle as our Chief Marketing Officer and Kay Bogeajis as our Chief Operating Officer. Under Steve’s direction, the team has added new layers of revenue through menu innovation, as well as redefined our marketing strategy and enhanced the customer experience. These initiatives have resulted in comparable restaurant sales growth that has outperformed both the QSR and the fast casual segments in each of the past 11 quarters. We believe our senior management team is a key driver of our success and has positioned us well for long-term growth.

Our Growth Strategy

This Bird is “En Fuego”

We believe we are well-positioned to take advantage of significant growth opportunities because of our differentiated QSR+ positioning, signature fire-grilled chicken, disciplined business model and strong unit economics. We plan to continue to expand our business and drive restaurant sales growth, improve margins and enhance our competitive positioning by executing on the following strategies:

Expand Our Restaurant Base.  We believe we are in the early stages of our growth story with 401 current locations in five states, as of March 26, 2014, and we have significant opportunities to expand in existing and new markets. For the year ended December 25, 2013, we opened two new company-operated and five new franchised restaurants, and in 2014 we intend to open eight to 10 new company-operated and four to six new franchise restaurants across California, Nevada and Texas. There is no guarantee that we will be able to increase the number of our restaurants. We may be unsuccessful in expanding within our existing or into new markets for a variety of reasons described herein under “Risk Factors” above, including competition for customers, sites, franchisees, employees, licenses and financing.

To date, we have achieved strong average restaurant unit volumes and high cash-on-cash returns for new company-operated restaurants. Our current new restaurant investment model calls for an average total cash investment of $1,360,000, net of tenant allowances, an AUV of approximately $1.8 million and a cash-on-cash return in excess of 25% in a restaurant’s third full year of operations. We closed six restaurants in 2011, did not close any in 2012, and closed three in 2013. We did not open any new restaurants in 2011, but opened four in 2012 and two in 2013. For the year ended December 25, 2013, these new restaurants had weekly AUVs averaging $33,900 and annualized cash-on-cash returns of over 25%. For the period from December 26, 2013, through March 26, 2014, these new restaurants had weekly AUVs averaging $34,900 and annualized cash-on-cash returns of 35%. While most of our growth in 2014 will be derived from the expansion of our company-operated restaurant base, we will continue to strategically develop our franchisee relationships and grow our franchised portfolio within existing and new markets. We view our franchise program as an important tool for expanding the brand that allows us to increase our restaurant penetration.

In our existing markets, where we believe we possess strong brand awareness and a loyal following, we have identified over 325 potential new trade areas for restaurant development. As we continue to increase and strengthen our position in our core markets, we also intend to expand our presence into key, contiguous new markets. We believe a contiguous market expansion strategy will provide us with an attractive opportunity to leverage our brand awareness and infrastructure while increasing our geographic presence. After thoroughly researching potential new markets in the Southwest region, we have selected Houston, Texas as our next new market. In Houston, we have identified an initial 80 trade areas for potential restaurant development by us or our franchisees over the next several years, and we believe there are additional development opportunities beyond this. We expect to open our first location in Houston in 2014.

Increase Our Comparable Restaurant Sales.  Our system has experienced 11 straight quarters of comparable restaurant sales growth through our fiscal quarter ended March 26, 2014. We aim to build on this momentum by increasing customer frequency, attracting new customers and improving per person spend. Furthermore, we are well positioned to benefit from shifting culinary and demographic trends in the United States.

Menu Strategy and Evolution.  We will continue to adapt our menu to create entrees that complement our signature fire-grilled chicken and that reinforce our differentiated QSR+ positioning. We believe we have opportunities for menu innovation as we look to provide customers more choices through customization and limited time alternative proteins, such as carne asada. In addition, we will continue to tap in to the need for healthier offerings by building on the success of our recently launched “Under 500 Calorie” menu and other

 

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“better for you” products. Our marketing and operations teams collaborate to ensure that the items developed in our test kitchen can be executed to our high standards in our restaurants with the speed and value that our customers have come to expect.

Increase Brand Awareness and Consumer Engagement.  We engage consumers through our 10-module product calendar which features seasonal favorites from our “Under 500 Calorie” low calorie menu for New Year’s resolutions to Signature Salads in Spring, and Carnitas for the winter holiday season. Our key points of differentiation are communicated through our new advertising campaign “Crazy You Can Taste,” which highlights the lengths we go through to deliver real food throughout the year. We tailor our message from television and direct mail, which garners broad exposure, to our cost effective e-mail marketing program My Loco Rewards and social media platform where we engage in one-on-one conversation to solicit new ideas and deepen the relationship between our customers and our brand. Within our restaurants we continue to engage our customers at various points along their path to purchase to further drive our differentiation. We believe our messaging and communication channels work synergistically and have resulted in a 7% increase in new and lapsed users from 2012 to 2014. These new and lapsed users now account for approximately 15% of total visits.

Hacienda Remodel Program.  In 2011, we launched our new Hacienda remodeling program, which has resulted on average in an additional 3% comparable restaurant sales for remodeled restaurants. The redesigned Hacienda restaurants highlight our roots, while offering a more modern feel and upscale dining experience. We and our franchisees have remodeled 152 restaurants as of March 26, 2014. We expect to have remodeled over 50% of our restaurant system by the end of 2014 and to have completed the remodeling program by 2018.

Enhance Restaurant Operations and Leverage Our Infrastructure.  Since 2011, we have increased our restaurant contribution margin by 340 basis points, to 22.1%. We believe we can further improve our margins by maintaining fiscal discipline, increasing fixed-cost leverage and enhancing our purchasing efforts. We currently have a business infrastructure that allows us and our franchisee partners to grow and manage the productivity of each restaurant on a real-time basis. Additionally, we believe, as our restaurant base matures and AUVs increase, we will be able to leverage corporate costs and improve margins, as general and administrative expenses grow at a slower rate than our revenues.

Properties

Our restaurants are either free-standing facilities, typically with drive-thru capability, or in-line. A typical restaurant generally ranges from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet with seating for approximately 70 people. For a majority of our company-operated restaurants, we lease land on which our restaurants are built. Our leases generally have terms of 20 years, with two or three renewal terms of five years. Restaurant leases provide for a specified annual rent, and some leases call for additional or contingent rent based on revenue above specified levels. Generally, our leases are “net leases” that require us to pay a pro rata share of taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. We own 19 properties and currently operate or license to franchisees the right to operate restaurants on all of these properties. All 19 of these owned properties are subject to mortgages that secure our senior secured credit facilities. In addition, we lease 152 properties for company-operated restaurants. As of March 26, 2014, our restaurant system consisted of 401 restaurants comprised of 168 company-operated restaurants and 233 franchised restaurants located in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Utah. In addition, we currently license our brand to two restaurants in the Philippines, the licenses of which are currently set to expire in 2016. We have not included these two licensed restaurants as part of our unit count as presented in this document.

We lease our executive offices, consisting of approximately 24,890 square feet in Costa Mesa, California, for a term expiring in 2018, plus one five-year extension option. We believe our current office space is suitable and adequate for its intended purposes and our near-term expansion plans.

 

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State		Company- Operated				Franchised				Total
California			144				208				352
Nevada			17				4				21
Arizona			0				18				18
Texas			6				2				8
Utah			1				1				2
Total			168				233				401

Site Selection and Expansion

New Restaurant Development

We believe we are in the early stages of our growth story and to date we have achieved strong average restaurant unit volumes and cash-on-cash returns for new company-operated restaurants that we have opened, which we believe provides us with a strong foundation for expansion. For the year ended December 25, 2013, we opened two new company-operated and five new franchised restaurants, and in 2014 we intend to open between eight and 10 new company-operated and four to six new franchised restaurants across our existing markets as well as one new market, Houston, Texas. There is no guarantee that we will be able to increase the number of our restaurants. We may be unsuccessful in expanding within our existing or into new markets for a variety of reasons described above under “Risk Factors,” including competition for customers, sites, franchisees, employees, licenses and financing. Over the long-term, we plan to grow the number of El Pollo Loco restaurants by 8% to 10% annually.

Our strategy for entering new markets is to lead with company development while recruiting and developing franchisees to open new restaurants with us during the second year of new market entry. This will enable us to establish a development, operations and marketing infrastructure to help ensure that we maximize our consumer proposition and support franchisees as they enter the market. We anticipate that entering new markets with both company and franchisee development is the best way to establish our brand, as it will enable us to scale rapidly, thereby driving operational and marketing efficiencies.

To date, we have opened one restaurant in 2014 and have another restaurant under construction. In addition, we have eleven restaurant sites in various stages of development with six in permitting and another five in lease negotiations.

Over the next three to five years, our expansion strategy will focus on the southwestern region of the United States. We believe this market provides an attractive opportunity to leverage our brand awareness and infrastructure.

 

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After thoroughly researching this region, we have selected Houston, Texas as our next new market and plan to build two to three restaurants in 2014. We are currently in the permitting process for one location and in various stages of negotiations on five others. In Houston, Texas, we have identified 80 trade areas for potential restaurant development by us or our franchisees over the next several years and we believe there are additional development opportunities beyond this.

Houston is an attractive market for a number of reasons, including:

 

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a large, rapidly growing population base;

 

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demographics similar to our existing markets, including a significant Hispanic population;

 

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attractive limited service restaurant traffic growth trends;

 

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availability of attractive real estate and favorable permitting and construction timelines; and

 

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favorable construction and restaurant operating costs.

Site Selection Process

We consider the location of a restaurant to be a critical variable in its long-term success and as such, we devote significant effort to the investigation and evaluation of potential restaurant locations. Our in-house development team has over 95 years of combined experience building such brands as Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Jack-in-the-Box and Wendy’s. We use a combination of our in-house development team and outside real estate consultants to locate, evaluate and negotiate new sites using various criteria including demographic characteristics, daytime population thresholds and traffic patterns, along with the potential visibility of, and accessibility to, the restaurant. The process for selecting locations incorporates management’s experience and expertise and includes extensive data collection and analysis. Additionally, we use information and intelligence gathered from managers and other restaurant personnel that live in or near the neighborhoods we are considering.

Based on our experience and results, we are currently focused on developing freestanding sites with drive-thrus. Our restaurants perform well in a variety of neighborhoods, which gives us greater flexibility and lowers operating risk when selecting new restaurant locations.

We approve new restaurants only after formal review by our real estate site approval committee, which includes most of senior management, and monitor restaurants’ ongoing performances to inform future site selection decisions.

Restaurant Design

After identifying a lease site, we commence our restaurant buildout. Our typical restaurant is a free-standing building with drive-thru service that ranges in size from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet. Our Hacienda restaurant design creates a colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environment. The exteriors of our restaurant feature a signature grill architectural element that reinforces the core brand element and our interiors feature large exhibition kitchens that allow customers to watch our Grill Masters prepare our fire-grilled chicken. Our colorful and contemporary dining rooms, with seating for approximately 70 people, include both comfortable booths and chairs, while large windows and soft lighting fill our restaurants with light and warmth.

Our new restaurants are either ground-up prototypes or conversions. We estimate that each ground-up buildout of a restaurant will require an average total cash investment of approximately $1.4 million, net of tenant allowances. We estimate that each conversion will require a total cash investment of $0.6 million to $0.8 million. On average, it takes us approximately 12 to 18 months from identification of the specific site to opening the restaurant. In order to maintain consistency of food and customer service, as well as our colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environment, we have set processes and timelines to follow for all restaurant openings.

Our restaurants are constructed in approximately 12 weeks and the development and construction of our new sites is the responsibility of our Development Department. A conversion typically takes approximately two months to

 

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complete. Several real estate managers are responsible for locating and leasing potential restaurant sites. Construction managers are then responsible for building the restaurants, and several staff members manage purchasing, budgeting, scheduling and other related administrative functions.

Restaurant Management and Operations

Service

We are extremely focused on customer service. We aim to provide fast, friendly service on a solid foundation of dedicated, driven team members and managers. Our cashiers are trained on the menu items we offer and offer customers thoughtful suggestions to enhance the ordering process. Our team members and managers are responsible for our dining room environment, personally visiting tables to ensure every customer’s satisfaction, and monitoring the fresh salsa bar and beverage station for cleanliness and an ample supply of products.

Operations

We utilize systems that are aimed at measuring our ability to deliver a “best in class” experience for our customers. These systems include customer surveys, mystery shopper scores and speed of service performance trends. The operational results from all of these sources are then presented on an operations dashboard that displays the measures in an easy-to-read online format that corporate and restaurant-level management and franchisees can utilize in order to identify strengths and opportunities and develop specific plans for continuous performance improvement.

We measure the execution of our system standards within each restaurant through our commitment to Quality, Service & Cleanliness (“QSC”) audit program. These audits are conducted in each restaurant twice yearly, but may be more frequent based upon restaurant performance. Additionally, we have food safety and quality assurance programs designed to maintain the highest standards for food and food preparation procedures used by both company-operated and franchised restaurants. We employ a team of quality assurance managers and third party auditors that perform our restaurant audits.

Managers and Team Members

Each of our restaurants typically has a general manager, an assistant manager, two to three shift leaders, and two team leaders. There are between 15 and 35 team members who prepare our food fresh daily and provide customer service. To lead our restaurant management teams, we have area leaders, each of whom is responsible for eight to 12 restaurants. Overseeing the area leaders are two directors of operations, each responsible for 70 to 90 restaurants. The vice president of operations leads our company-operated restaurants, managing both sales and profitability targets.

We are selective in our hiring processes, aiming to staff our restaurants with team members that are friendly, customer focused, and driven to provide high-quality products. We employ a unique approach to selecting future team members. Our team members are cross-trained in several disciplines to maximize depth of competency and efficiency in critical restaurant functions. Our focus on hiring the best possible employees has enabled us to develop a culture that breeds loyalty throughout our employee base. Many team members and managers have been employed by us for longer than 15 years, and it is not rare to identify team members with more than 20 years seniority.

Training

We believe we have created a culture of constant learning. On the first day of employment, team members are introduced to our Standards and Procedures Educational Card System (“SPECS”) training program, which is a comprehensive training program developed to lead team members through the training process in easy to use, function-based, educational card modules. Each team member can learn at their own pace, focusing on the modules that apply to their initial role on the restaurant team.

The vast majority of our restaurant management staff is comprised of former team members who have advanced along the El Pollo Loco five tier career path. Skilled team members who display leadership qualities are encouraged to enter the team leader training program. Successive steps along the management path add increasing levels of duties and responsibilities. Each stage in the management training path requires greater training periods, culminating in the general manager training process, comprised of seven weeks of intensive classroom and hands-on training in a certified training restaurant.

 

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Grill Masters

Our reputation is built on our signature product—fired-grilled chicken marinated in citrus and garlic—which is grilled and hand-cut to order by our Grill Masters. Accordingly, we staff each of our restaurants with three to four highly-trained Grill Masters who share our commitment to high-quality food. We provide each of them with intensive grilling training, and place them in our open kitchens where our customers can watch them create our signature products.

Franchise Program

Overview

We use a franchising strategy to increase new restaurant growth in certain markets, leveraging the ownership of entrepreneurs with specific local market expertise and requiring a relatively minimal capital commitment by us. As of March 26, 2014, there were a total of 233 franchised restaurants. Franchisees range in size from single-restaurant operators to the largest franchisee, which owned 52 restaurants as of March 26, 2014. Our existing franchise base consists of many successful, longstanding, multi-unit restaurant operators. As of March 26, 2014, approximately 76% of franchised restaurants were owned and operated by franchisees that have been with us for more than 20 years. Since the beginning of 2008, our franchisees have opened 26 new El Pollo Loco restaurants (net), representing a 12.6% net increase from 2008 to March 26, 2014.

We plan to expand our base of franchised restaurants. In existing markets, we encourage growth from current franchisees. In our expansion markets, we seek highly qualified and experienced new franchisees for multi-unit development opportunities. We seek franchisees of successful, non-competitive brands operating in our expansion markets. Through strategic networking and participation in select franchise conferences, we aim to identify highly-qualified prospects. Additionally, we market our franchise opportunities with the support of a franchising section on our website and printed brochures.

Franchise Owner Support

We believe creating a foundation of initial and on-going support is important to future success for both our franchisees and our brand. For that reason, we have structured our corporate staff, programs and communication systems to ensure that we are delivering high-quality support to our franchisees.

We have a mandatory training program that was designed to ensure that our franchise owners and their managers are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for success. The program consists of hands-on training in the operation and management of the restaurant. Training is conducted by a general training manager who has been certified by us for training. Instructional materials for the initial training program include our operations manual, SPECS crew training system, wall charts, job aids, recipe books, product build cards, management training materials, ServSafe (food safety) book, videos and other materials we may create from time to time. Training must be successfully completed before a trainee can be assigned to a restaurant as a manager.

We also provide numerous opportunities for communication and shared feedback between us and franchise owners. Currently, we hold a franchise business update for all franchisees each month which includes multi-functional company representation and executive attendance. On a quarterly basis, we meet with our Franchise Leadership Team and Marketing Advisory Committee to share ideas and resolve issues. Yearly we hold a conference for our franchisees, vendors and company leaders to celebrate our shared successes, discuss best practices and set the course for the following year.

Marketing and Advertising

We promote our restaurants and products through our new “Crazy You Can Taste” advertising campaign. The campaign aims to deliver our message of going to whatever lengths necessary to deliver fresh and healthier product offerings. The campaign emphasizes our points of differentiation, from our fresh ingredients and scratch preparation, to the cooking of our citrus-marinated chicken on open fire grills in full view in our kitchens.

 

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We use multiple marketing channels, including television to broadly drive brand awareness and purchases of our featured products every five weeks. We advertise on local network and cable television in our primary markets, and utilize heavier cable schedules for some of our less developed markets. We complement this with direct mail and our My Loco Rewards e-mail marketing program, which allows us to reach more than 130,000 members. My Loco Rewards is our e-club program. The program offers every member that joins a complimentary order of our handmade guacamole and chips. We engage members via e-mails featuring news of promotional offers, member rewards and product previews. Members are offered complimentary two-piece meals or tostada salads during their birthday months. My Loco Rewards also allows members to voice their opinions through surveys that provide us with information that helps us define future product concepts. In addition, we use our database to survey and solicit new product ideas, which allows us to create a comprehensive product calendar that extends 18 months forward.

Through our public relations efforts we engage notable food editors and bloggers on a range of topics to help promote our products. In addition, we engage in one on one conversations using a portfolio of social media platforms which include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We also use social media as a research and customer service tool, and apply insight we gain to future marketing efforts.

We created El Pollo Loco Charities, a non-profit charity, to support the communities surrounding our restaurants. El Pollo Loco Charities has provided over 10,000 meals a year to underprivileged families through organizations like South County Food Outreach, Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Institute and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).

Purchasing and Distribution

Maintaining a high degree of quality in our restaurants depends in part on our ability to acquire fresh ingredients and other necessary supplies that meet our specifications from reliable suppliers. We regularly inspect vendors to ensure that products purchased conform to our standards and that prices offered are competitive. We have a quality assurance team that performs comprehensive supplier audits on a frequency schedule based on the potential food safety risk of each product. We contract with MBM Corporation (our “primary distributor”), a major foodservice distributor, for substantially all of our food and supplies, including the poultry our restaurants receive from suppliers. Our primary distributor delivers supplies to most of our restaurants three times per week. Our distributor relationship with our primary distributor has been in place since 1997. Our restaurants located in Texas and Utah utilize regional distributors. Our franchisees are required to use our primary distributor or an approved regional distributor and franchisees must purchase food and supplies from approved suppliers. In our normal course of business, we evaluate bids from multiple suppliers for various products. Poultry is our largest product cost item and represented approximately 41% of our total food and paper costs for 2013. Fluctuations in supply and prices can significantly impact our restaurant service and profit performance. We actively manage cost volatility for poultry by negotiating with multiple suppliers and entering into what we believe are the most favorable contract terms given existing market conditions. In the past, we have entered into contracts ranging from two months to three years depending on current and expected market conditions. We currently source poultry from four suppliers with two accounting for approximately 90% of our planned purchases in 2014. We have entered into fixed price contracts with our two largest poultry suppliers through the end of 2014 with pricing generally favorable to current spot prices.

Intellectual Property

We have registered El Pollo Loco^®, Pollo Bowl^®, The Crazy Chicken^® and certain other names used by our restaurants as trademarks or service marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and El Pollo Loco^® in approximately 42 foreign countries. Our current brand campaign, Crazy You Can Taste™, has also been approved for registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, the El Pollo Loco logo, website name and address and Facebook and Twitter accounts are our intellectual property. Our policy is to pursue and maintain registration of service marks and trademarks in those countries where business strategy requires us to do so and to oppose vigorously any infringement or dilution of the service marks or trademarks in such countries. We maintain the recipe for our chicken marinade, as well as certain proprietary standards, specifications and operating procedures, as trade secrets or confidential proprietary information.

Competition

We operate in the restaurant industry, which is highly competitive and fragmented. The number, size and strength of competitors vary by region. Our competition includes a variety of locally owned restaurants and national and

 

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regional chains that offer dine-in, carry-out and delivery services. Our competition in the broadest perspective includes restaurants, pizza parlors, convenience food stores, delicatessens, supermarkets and club stores. There are no significant direct competitors with respect to menus that feature marinated, fire-grilled chicken. However, we indirectly compete with fast casual restaurants, including Chipotle, Panera, Qdoba, Rubio’s and Taco Cabana, among others, and with chicken-specialty QSRs and Mexican QSRs, such as Chick-fil-A, Church’s Chicken, KFC, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Taco Bell, among others.

We believe competition within the fast casual restaurant segment is based primarily on ambience, price, taste, quality and the freshness of the menu items as well as the convenience of drive-thru service. We also believe that QSR competition is based primarily on quality, taste, speed of service, value, brand recognition, restaurant location and customer service. In addition, we compete with franchisors of other restaurant concepts for prospective franchisees.

Environmental Matters

Our operations are also subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including regulation of discharges into the air and water, storage and disposal of waste and clean-up of contaminated soil and groundwater. Under various federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, in or emanating from such property. Such liability may be imposed without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances.

Certain of our properties may be located on sites that we know or suspect have been used by prior owners or operators as retail gas stations. Such properties previously contained underground storage tanks (“USTs”), and while we are not aware of any sites with USTs remaining, it is possible that some of these properties may currently contain abandoned underground storage tanks. We are aware of contamination from a release of hazardous materials by a previous owner at two of our owned properties and one of our leased properties. We do not believe that we have contributed to the contamination at any of these properties. The appropriate state agencies have been notified and these issues are being handled without disruption to our business. It is possible that petroleum products and other contaminants may have been released at other properties into the soil or groundwater. Under applicable federal and state environmental laws, we, as the current owner or operator of these sites, may be jointly and severally liable for the costs of investigation and remediation of any contamination. Although we lease most of our properties, or when we own the property we obtain certain assurances from the prior owner or often obtain indemnity agreements from third parties, we cannot assure you that we will not be liable for environmental conditions relating to our prior, existing or future restaurants or restaurant sites. If we are found liable for the costs of remediation of contamination at or emanating from any of our properties, our operating expenses would likely increase and our operating results would be materially adversely affected.

Since 2000, we have obtained “Phase One” environmental reports for new restaurants. Where warranted, we obtain updated reports, and if necessary in rare cases we obtain “Phase Two” reports. We have not conducted a comprehensive environmental review of all of our properties or operations. No assurance can be given that we have identified all of the potential environmental liabilities at our properties or that such liabilities will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

Regulation and Compliance

We are subject to extensive federal, state and local government regulation, including those relating to, among others, public health and safety, zoning and fire codes, and franchising. Failure to obtain or retain food or other licenses would adversely affect the operations of restaurants. Although we have not experienced and do not anticipate any significant problems in obtaining required licenses, permits or approvals, any difficulties, delays or failures in obtaining such licenses, permits or approvals could delay or prevent the opening of, or adversely impact the viability of, a restaurant in a particular area.

The development and construction of additional restaurants will be subject to compliance with applicable zoning, land use and environmental regulations. We believe federal and state environmental regulations have not had a material effect on operations, but more stringent and varied requirements of local government bodies with respect to zoning, land use and environmental factors could delay construction and increase development costs for new restaurants.

 

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We are also subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and various federal and state laws governing such matters as minimum wages, overtime, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements and other working conditions. A significant portion of the hourly staff is paid at rates consistent with the applicable federal or state minimum wage and, accordingly, increases in the minimum wage will increase labor costs. We are also subject to the Americans With Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations and employment, which may require us to design or modify our restaurants to make reasonable accommodations for disabled persons.

For a discussion of the various risks we face from regulation and compliance matters, see “Risk Factors.”

Management Information Systems

All of our company-operated and franchised restaurants use computerized point-of-sale and back office systems, which we believe are scalable to support our long term growth plans. The point-of-sale system provides a touch screen interface and integrated, high speed credit card and gift card processing. The point-of-sale system is used to collect daily transaction data, which generates information about daily sales and product mix that we actively analyze.

Our in-restaurant back office computer system is designed to assist in the management of our restaurants and provide labor and food cost management tools. The system also provides corporate headquarters and restaurant operations management quick access to detailed business data and reduces the time spent by our restaurant managers on administrative needs. The system also provides sales, bank deposit and variance data to our accounting department on a daily basis. For company-operated restaurants, we use this data to generate weekly consolidated reports regarding sales and other key measures, as well as preliminary weekly profit and loss statements for each location with final reports following the end of each period.

Employees

As of March 26, 2014, we had approximately 4,460 employees, of whom approximately 4,328 were hourly restaurant employees comprised of 3,674 crewmembers, 166 general managers, 191 assistant managers, 282 shift leaders and 15 employees in limited-time roles as acting managers or managers in training. The remaining 132 employees were corporate and office personnel. None of our employees are part of a collective bargaining agreement, and we believe our relationships with our employees are satisfactory.

Legal Proceedings

On or about February 24, 2014, a former employee filed a class action in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Orange, against EPL on behalf of all putative class members (all hourly employees from 2010 to the present) alleging certain violations of California labor laws, including failure to pay overtime compensation, failure to provide meal periods and rest breaks and failure to provide itemized wage statements. The putative lead plaintiff’s requested remedies include compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement of profits and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. No specific amount of damages sought was specified in the complaint. We were served with the complaint on March 3, 2014. While we intend to vigorously defend against this action, including its class certification, the ultimate outcome of the case is presently not determinable as it is in a preliminary phase. Thus, we cannot at this time determine the likelihood of an adverse judgment nor a likely range of damages in the event of an adverse judgment. Any settlement of or judgment with a negative outcome arising from such lawsuit could have an adverse material impact.

We are also involved in various other claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these other actions will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources. A significant increase in the number of claims or an increase in amounts owing under successful claims could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers Upon Completion of the Offering

The following table sets forth the name, age and position of individuals who currently serve as the directors and executive officers of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

 

Name		Age				Position
Stephen J. Sather			66			Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
Laurance Roberts			54			Chief Financial Officer
Kay Bogeajis			58			Chief Operating Officer
Edward Valle			53			Chief Marketing Officer
Michael G. Maselli			54			Chairman and Director
Dean C. Kehler			57			Director
Wesley W. Barton			36			Director
John M. Roth			55			Director
Douglas K. Ammerman			62			Director
Samuel N. Borgese			65			Director

Stephen J. Sather has been a director and our Chief Executive Officer and President since 2010. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Sather was our Senior Vice President of Operations. From 2002 to 2005, he was Senior Vice President of Retail Operations for Great Circle Family Foods, a major California franchisee of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts stores. Mr. Sather holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Based on his extensive industry and management experience in the casual dining and quick-service sectors, his familiarity with us, his deep understanding of restaurant operations, and his work at a franchisee organization, Mr. Sather is well-qualified to lead us and to serve on our board.

Laurance Roberts has been our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since July 2013. From 2008 to 2012 he was Chief Operating Officer for KFC, a major fried chicken restaurant chain and a division of Yum Brands. In 2008, he was also General Manager for KFC Restaurant Operating Company. Before that, he spent three years as Chief Financial Officer of KFC, and three years as Chief Financial Officer of Yum Brands’ Pizza Hut joint venture in the United Kingdom. Mr. Roberts holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bucknell University.

Kay Bogeajis has been our Chief Operating Officer since July 2013. From 2007 to 2013, she was Vice President of Retail Operations for Peet’s Coffee & Tea. From 1997 to 2007, Ms. Bogeajis was employed by Yum Brands, where from 2003 to 2007 she served as Head Coach of Western Operations and where from 2001 to 2003 she was Vice President of Systemwide Operations for the Taco Bell division. Ms. Bogeajis has a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University.

Edward Valle has been our Chief Marketing Officer since October 2011. From 2009 to 2010, he was Chief Marketing Strategist for Choice Hotels International, responsible for brand strategy, advertising, marketing, media, promotional and loyalty initiatives. From 2005 to 2009, he was Vice President of Marketing at the Panera Bread Company. Before that, he held marketing leadership positions at Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway Restaurants and Diageo. Mr. Valle holds an MBA from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in operations and logistics management from Michigan State University.

Michael G. Maselli has been Chairman of our Board of Directors since 2011. Mr. Maselli is a managing director of Trimaran Fund Management, L.L.C. Before joining Trimaran in February 2003, Mr. Maselli worked in the Corporate and Leverage Finance Groups of CIBC World Markets. Prior to joining CIBC in 1997, Mr. Maselli served as a Managing Director in Bear Stearns’ corporate finance group and, prior to that, as a Vice President at Kidder Peabody & Co. Incorporated. Mr. Maselli has served on the board of directors of Norcraft Companies, Inc. since July 2013, and on board of managers of its predecessor company since 2003. Mr. Maselli currently also serves on the board of Educational Services of America, Inc. He previously served on the board of directors of Standard Steel, LLC, and was director as well as Chairman of the Board of CB Holding Corp. Mr. Maselli received an MBA with distinction from The A.B. Freeman School at Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of

 

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Colorado. With his extensive background in banking, finance, and private equity, his supervisory and investment experience in a variety of industries, and his knowledge of us and our affiliates, Mr. Maselli is well-qualified to serve as our Chairman.

Dean C. Kehler has been a director since 2005. In 2000, he co-founded Trimaran, one of our sponsors, where he is a Managing Partner. From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Kehler held senior positions at CIBC, including Vice Chairman of CIBC World Markets Corp. Mr. Kehler has served on the board of directors of KCAP Financial, Inc., since February 2012. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Because of his strong background in banking and finance, his many years of experience overseeing this and other corporations, and his knowledge of management and strategy, Mr. Kehler is well-qualified to serve on our board.

Wesley W. Barton has been a director since 2011. Since 2007, he has been employed by Trimaran Capital Partners, one of our sponsors, where he is a Vice President. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Barton was an associate at Banc of America Securities, the broker-dealer arm of Bank of America. From 2002 to 2005, he was an associate at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He has a JD from Duke University. Based on his skills in banking, private financing, mergers and corporate law, Mr. Barton is well-qualified to serve on our board.

John M. Roth has been a director since 2007. He has been with Freeman Spogli, one of our sponsors, since 1988, and has been a General Partner there since 1993, where he now serves as President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1984 to 1988, Mr. Roth was employed by Kidder, Peabody & Co. Incorporated in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group. Mr. Roth received an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Roth has served on the board of directors of hhgregg, Inc., since February 2005. With his extensive experience as a board member of numerous retail and consumer businesses and his experience and insights into strategic expansion opportunities, capital markets and capitalization strategies, Mr. Roth is well-qualified to serve on our board.

Douglas K. Ammerman has been a director since 2007. Since retiring as a Partner from KPMG in 2002, Mr. Ammerman has been a director for Fidelity National Financial, Inc., since 2005, William Lyon Homes since 2007, Stantec Inc. since 2011 and Remy International, Inc., since 2013. In the past five years, Mr. Ammerman has also served on the board of Quiksilver, Inc. He holds a master’s degree in business taxation from the University of Southern California, a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton, and is a CPA, inactive. Based on his fulsome knowledge of accounting, corporate governance, and of the restaurant industry, Mr. Ammerman is well-qualified to serve on our board.

Samuel N. Borgese has been a director since 2011, and served as Chairman of our Board of Directors in 2011, while he also served as our Executive Chairman. Mr. Borgese is currently Chief Executive Officer of Max Brenner International, which manufactures chocolate products and delivers them through a global system of chocolate bar restaurants and shops. From 2008 to 2011, he was first Interim President and Chief Executive Officer and then permanent President and Chief Executive Officer of CB Holding Corp., the parent of Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse and other chains, which was owned by Trimaran, one of our sponsors. From 2003 to 2008, he was employed by Catalina Restaurant Group, first as Chief Development Officer and later as President and Chief Executive Officer. Before that, Mr. Borgese was Chief Executive Officer of an enterprise software company that supported 300 restaurant, retail and hospitality businesses in the lifecycle management of their real estate assets. Mr. Borgese holds a Certificate of Director Education from the National Association of Corporate Directors. With more than 30 years of senior executive and other leadership positions with public and private companies in the restaurant, retail and hospitality sectors, Mr. Borgese is well-qualified to serve on our board.

Board Composition and Election of Directors

Prior to completion of this offering, we will amend and restate our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws. Our certificate of incorporation will provide that our board of directors shall consist of no fewer than and no more than              directors. The exact size of our board shall be determined from time to time by the board. We intend to appoint one director following the completion of this offering who satisfies the independence requirements of the NASDAQ. Wesley W. Barton has agreed to resign from our board of directors upon the appointment of our new independent director. Our board of directors will be divided into three classes, with each director serving a three-year term and with one class to be elected at each year’s annual meeting of stockholders.

 

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We are a party to a stockholders agreement with LLC, whose members are investment funds managed by our sponsors, certain members of our management and other third party investors. The stockholders agreement provides certain rights to LLC, including registration rights for common stock owned by LLC. The limited liability company operating agreement of LLC also provides rights to Trimaran and Freeman Spogli, including certain registration rights. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

Our certificate of incorporation will provide that directors may only be removed for cause by a majority of the voting power of our then outstanding stock voting as a single class at a meeting of stockholders. However, if LLC beneficially owns more than     % of our common stock, directors may be removed with or without cause, by a majority of the voting power of our outstanding stock voting as a single class. The certificate will also provide that, if a director is removed or if a vacancy occurs due to either an increase in the size of the board or due to death, resignation, disqualification or other cause, the vacancy will be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, even if less than a quorum remains.

We intend to avail ourself of the “controlled company” exception under NASDAQ rules because LLC will continue to control more than 50% of the voting power of our common stock following the completion of this offering. The “controlled company” exception eliminates the requirements that we have (a) a majority of independent directors on our board and (b) compensation and nominating/corporate governance committees composed entirely of independent directors, as independence is defined in Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and under the listing standards. The “controlled company” exception does not modify the independence requirements for the audit committee, and we intend to comply with the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley and the NASDAQ. We will be required to have an audit committee with at least one independent director during the 90-day period beginning on the date of effectiveness of the registration statement filed with the SEC in connection with this offering and of which this prospectus is part. After this 90-day period and until one year from the date of effectiveness of the registration statement, we will be required to have a majority of independent directors on our audit committee. Thereafter, we will be required to have an audit committee comprised entirely of independent directors. We expect to have          independent directors on our board upon completion of this offering. See “Management—Directors and Executive Officers.”

If at any time we cease to be a “controlled company” under NASDAQ rules, our board of directors will take all action necessary to comply with the applicable NASDAQ rules, including appointing a majority of independent directors to our board of directors and establishing certain committees composed entirely of independent directors, subject to a permitted “phase-in” period.

Board Committees

Our board of directors has established standing committees in connection with the discharge of its responsibilities. These committees include an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our board of directors has adopted written charters for each of these committees. Upon completion of this offering, copies of the charters will be available on our website at www.elpolloloco.com. Our board of directors may establish other committees as it deems necessary or appropriate from time to time.

Audit Committee

Upon completion of this offering, the Audit Committee will be comprised of Dean C. Kehler, Douglas K. Ammerman and Samuel N. Borgese. We are relying on the phase-in rules of the Exchange Act and the NASDAQ with respect to the independence of our audit committee. These rules permit us to have an audit committee that has one member who is independent upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, a majority of member who are independent within 90 days of effectiveness and all members who are independent within one year of effectiveness. The functions of our Audit Committee, among other things, will include:

 

•

reviewing our financial statements, including any significant financial items and changes in accounting policies, with our senior management and independent registered public accounting firm;

 

•

reviewing our financial risk and control procedures, compliance programs and significant tax, legal and regulatory matters;

 

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•

appointing and determining the compensation for our independent auditors;

 

•

establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters; and

 

•

reviewing and overseeing our independent registered public accounting firm.

Our board of directors has determined that Douglas K. Ammerman qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K and that Douglas K. Ammerman is independent as independence is defined in Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and under NASDAQ listing standards. As discussed above under the caption “Board Composition and Election of Directors,” the Audit Committee will consist of a majority of independent directors within 90 days of listing, and consist of all independent directors by the first anniversary of listing, consistent with NASDAQ listing standards.

Compensation Committee

Upon completion of this offering, the Compensation Committee will be comprised of Michael G. Maselli, John M. Roth and Douglas K. Ammerman. The functions of our Compensation Committee, among other things, will include:

 

•

reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of certain of our key executives, evaluating the performance of these executives in light of those goals and objectives, and determining the compensation of these executives based on that evaluation;

 

•

reviewing and approving executive officer and director compensation;

 

•

reviewing and approving overall compensation programs; and

 

•

administering our incentive compensation and equity-based plans.

In order to comply with certain SEC and tax law requirements, our compensation committee (or a subcommittee of the compensation committee) must consist of at least two directors that qualify as “non employee directors” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and satisfy the requirements of an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Our board of directors has determined that Michael G. Maselli, John M. Roth and Douglas K. Ammerman each qualify as “non employee directors” and “outside directors.”

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Upon completion of this offering, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will be comprised of Dean C. Kehler, Michael G. Maselli and John M. Roth. The functions of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, among other things, will include:

 

•

identifying individuals qualified to become board members and recommending director nominees and board members for committee membership;

 

•

developing and recommending to our board corporate governance guidelines; and

 

•

overseeing the evaluation of our board of directors and its committees and management.

Risk Oversight

Our board of directors oversees a company-wide approach to risk management that is carried out by management. Our board of directors determines the appropriate risk for us generally, assesses the specific risks faced by us and reviews the steps taken by management to manage those risks.

While our board of directors maintains the ultimate oversight responsibility for the risk management process, its committees oversee risk in certain specified areas. Additionally, our Compensation Committee is responsible for

 

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overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation plans and arrangements, and the incentives created by the compensation awards it administers. Our Audit Committee oversees management of enterprise risks and financial risks, as well as potential conflicts of interests. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks associated with the independence of our board of directors. Pursuant to our board of directors’ instruction, management regularly reports on applicable risks to the relevant committee or the board of directors, as appropriate, with additional review or reporting on risks conducted as needed or as requested by our board of directors and its committees.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the members of our Compensation Committee has ever been an officer or employee of us. None of our executive officers serves or has served as a member of the board of directors, compensation committee or other board committee performing equivalent functions of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as one of our directors or on our Compensation Committee.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Our board of directors has adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees. Upon completion of this offering, a copy of the code will be available on our website at www.elpolloloco.com. We expect that any amendments to the code, or any waivers of its requirements, will be disclosed on our website.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

Our board of directors has adopted corporate governance guidelines to assist our board of directors in the exercise of its fiduciary duties and responsibilities to us and to promote the effective functioning of our board of directors and its committees. Our corporate governance guidelines cover, among other topics:

 

•

director independence and qualification requirements;

 

•

board leadership and executive sessions;

 

•

limitations on other board and committee service;

 

•

director responsibilities;

 

•

director compensation;

 

•

director orientation and continuing education;

 

•

board and committee resources, including access to officers and employees;

 

•

succession planning; and

 

•

board and committee self evaluations.

Upon completion of this offering, a copy of the corporate governance guidelines will be available on our website, which is located at www.elpolloloco.com. We expect that any amendments to the guidelines will be disclosed on our website.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

We are providing compensation disclosure that satisfies the requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, as defined in the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we have opted to comply with the executive compensation rules applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as such term is defined under the Securities Act, which require compensation disclosure for our principal executive officer and the two most highly compensated executive officers other than our principal executive officer. The table below sets forth the annual compensation earned during fiscal 2013 by our principal executive officer and our next two most highly compensated executive officers (our “named executive officers” or “NEOs”).

2013 Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position		Year				Salary				Option Awards(3)				Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation(4)				All Other Compensation(5)				Total
Stephen J. Sather President & Chief Executive Officer			2013			$	436,567			$	0			$	349,083			$	41,797			$	827,447
Laurance Roberts(1) Chief Financial Officer			2013			$	138,795			$	427,837			$	112,718			$	12,717			$	692,067
Kay Bogeajis(2) Chief Operating Officer			2013			$	111,099			$	427,837			$	94,558			$	7,197			$	640,691

 

(1)      Mr. Roberts commenced employment as our Chief Financial Officer on July 15, 2013.

(2)      Ms. Bogeajis commenced employment as our Chief Operating Officer on July 29, 2013.

(3)      Represents the grant date fair value of options awarded during 2013, computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (FASB ASC Topic 718). For a summary of the assumptions made in the valuation of these awards, please see Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

(4)      Represents performance-based bonuses earned by our NEOs in respect of our performance in 2013. The material terms of the non-equity incentive plan compensation paid to our named executive officers in our last completed fiscal year are described below in the section entitled “—Elements of Compensation—2013 Bonus Arrangements.”

(5)      For Messrs. Sather and Roberts and Ms. Bogeajis, includes the following perquisites and benefits:

 

•

Gas Card Benefits: $5,124.08, $543.56 and $1,498.86, respectively;

 

•

401(k) Plan Matching Contribution: $10,197.06, $0 and $0, respectively;

 

•

Auto Allowance: $7,476.84, $3,267.66 and $2,990.74, respectively; and

 

•

Other Benefits (including, health and welfare benefits): $18,998.56, $8,905.90 and $2,707.52, respectively.

Employment Agreements

Each of our NEOs is a party to an employment agreement. The employment agreements are substantially similar. We entered into an employment agreement in 2006 with Mr. Sather (which was amended and restated in 2011), in 2013 with Mr. Roberts and Ms. Bogeajis. The employment agreements provide that Messrs. Sather and Roberts and Ms. Bogeajis will receive salaries equal to $350,000, $300,000, and $275,000, respectively, which may be adjusted in our sole discretion (and, with respect to Mr. Sather have been adjusted up as shown in “—Summary Compensation Table”) and also provides that we will reimburse Mr. Roberts for certain relocation expenses. Each employment agreement also provides that each executive will be eligible to earn annual bonus awards with a target of 75% of the executive’s then current base salary and that each executive is entitled to receive certain other benefits and perquisites as more fully described in the “—Elements of Compensation—Other Benefits” section. The employment agreements provide that the NEOs’ employment with us is “at will” and may be terminated at any time by either party, provided the NEOs are required to provide us with 90-day advance notice in case of resignation. If we terminate an NEO’s employment without “cause,” as defined in the respective employment agreement, or if the agreement is terminated by the NEO for “good reason,” as defined in the respective employment agreement, and provided that the NEO signs a

 

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general release of claims, the NEO will be entitled to receive continuation of base salary for 12 months following termination of employment. In addition, in case of any termination of employment, except termination by us for “cause” or voluntary resignation by the NEO, each NEO will be entitled to receive a pro-rata bonus for the year of termination based on our actual performance. Finally, in case of any termination of employment the NEO will be entitled to receive certain accrued obligations (including base salary through the date of termination, reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses, and any earned but unpaid annual bonus for the previously completed year). The employment agreements contain 12-month post-termination covenants relating to non-interference and non-solicitation of employees.

Elements of Compensation

Each of the named executive officers was provided with the following primary elements of compensation in 2013:

Base Salary

Each named executive officer received a fixed base salary in an amount determined in accordance with the executive’s employment agreement and based on a number of factors, including:

 

•

The nature, responsibilities and duties of the officer’s position;

 

•

The officer’s expertise, demonstrated leadership ability and prior performance;

 

•

The officer’s salary history and total compensation, including annual cash bonuses and long-term incentive compensation; and

 

•

The competitiveness of the market for the officer’s services.

Each named executive officer’s base salary for 2013 is listed in “—Summary Compensation Table.”

2013 Bonus Arrangements

Each named executive officer was eligible to earn an annual cash incentive in 2013. Our practice with respect to annual incentive compensation has historically been to provide an opportunity to earn bonus awards based on the achievement of company performance measures, specifically EBITDA adjusted for various add-backs permitted by our credit agreements (“Internal EBITDA”). Our El Pollo Loco Support Center Incentive Plan is adopted on an annual basis subject to approval by our board of directors and provides the opportunity for each of our NEOs to earn a bonus equal to 75% of their annual base salary at target for each year, based on our achievement of Internal EBITDA targets. The Internal EBITDA targets are set each year based on achievement of strategic goals and financial results. The cash incentive plan also provides for no bonus to be paid if Internal EBITDA achievement is less than 92.5% of target and for a cap equal to 200% of the target bonus amount to be paid if Internal EBITDA achievement is 125% of target or greater. Based on our performance, bonuses for 2013 were paid out at 110.82% of target.

Equity Grants

Exchange Options

At the time we were acquired by Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C., in 2005, certain of our employees held options in our predecessor entity, which were converted into options to purchase our common stock. None of our NEOs hold any of such options. All such options are currently vested and exercisable. Generally, upon an employee’s termination of employment with us, the employee will have 90 days following the date of such termination to exercise any portion of such options. If the employee’s termination is due to his retirement or total and permanent disability or death, the employee or his estate, as applicable, may exercise any portion of the options for nine months. In no event will an employee be entitled to exercise the option after its original expiration date. All options will be forfeited if an employee’s employment is terminated for cause, as defined in the respective option agreement.

 

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2005 Stock Option Plan

In 2005, we adopted the 2005 Stock Option Plan (the “2005 Plan”) in order to provide a means to attract, retain and motivate our directors, employees, and other service providers upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts our continued success, growth and development are dependent. All options granted under the 2005 Plan are vested (or will vest as of the end of April 2014) and no future awards will be made under the 2005 Plan. None of our NEOs hold any of such options. The 2005 Plan provides that each award will expire no later than the 10th anniversary of the grant. Generally, upon an employee’s termination of employment with us, the employee will have 90 days following the date of such termination to exercise any portion of the options. If the employee’s termination is due to his retirement, total and permanent disability or death, the employee or his estate, as applicable, may exercise any portion of the options for six months. In no event will an employee be entitled to exercise the option after its original expiration date. All options will be forfeited if an employee’s employment is terminated for cause. The awards under the 2005 Plan also require employees to agree to be bound by one-year post-termination covenants relating to non-competition, non-interference and non-solicitation of employees.

2012 Stock Option Plan

In 2012, we adopted the 2012 Stock Option Plan (the “2012 Plan”) in order to advance our interests by providing for grants of stock options to certain individuals. Generally, 50% of options granted under the 2012 Plan vest 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of grant. The initial grants in 2012 were a one-time exception, with a portion of the grants vesting at the time of grant. The remaining 50% vest 25% per year, based on achievement of Consolidated EBITDA (as such term is defined in the First Lien Credit Agreement) targets for such year or in some circumstances of cumulative Consolidated EBITDA targets over multiple years. The 2012 Plan provides that each award will expire no later than the 10th anniversary after grant. Generally, upon an employee’s termination of employment with us, the employee will have 90 days following the date of such termination to exercise any portion of the options. If the employee’s termination is due to his total and permanent disability or death, the employee or his estate, as applicable, may exercise any portion of the options for six months. In no event will an employee be entitled to exercise the option after its original expiration date. All options will be forfeited if an employee’s employment is terminated for cause. We also grant options with strike prices in excess of the fair market value of our stock on the date of grant. These premium options are intended as a further stretch incentive to encourage growth that meets or exceeds the premium level.

All of our plans prior to this offering also provide that upon exercise of the stock options, employees must agree to be bound by our stockholders agreement (discussed below under “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions—Stockholders Agreement”), which, among other items, provides for, prior to an initial public offering, call rights (in certain circumstances, at below fair mark value) and put rights (in certain circumstances) with respect to any stock that was purchased by employees upon exercise of stock options.

In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a new comprehensive equity incentive plan. The terms of such plan have not yet been finalized.

Other Benefits

In 2013, our NEOs were provided with certain limited fringe benefits that we believe are commonly provided to similarly situated executives in the market in which we compete for talent and therefore are important to our ability to attract and retain top-level executive management. These benefits include a monthly automobile allowance, a business transportation allowance and a gas card allowance. The amounts paid to NEOs in 2013 in respect of these benefits is reflected above in the “—Summary Compensation Table” section under the “All Other Compensation” heading.

All employees are eligible to participate in broad-based and comprehensive employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance and a 401(k) plan. Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in these plans generally on the same basis as our other employees. We do not sponsor or maintain any deferred compensation or supplemental retirement plans in addition to our 401(k) plan. Our 401(k) plan provides substantially all employees with the ability to make pre- or post-tax retirement contributions in accordance with applicable IRS limits. Matching contributions are provided in an amount equal to 100% of the first 3% of elective contributions and 50% of the next 2% of contributions by the employee. The 401(k) plan matching contributions provided to our named executive officers in 2013 are reflected above in the “—Summary Compensation Table” section under the “All Other Compensation” heading.

 

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2013 Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End Table

The following table sets forth outstanding equity option awards as of December 25, 2013:

 

Name		Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options								Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Unearned Options				Option Exercise Price				Option Expiration Date
		Exercisable				Unexercisable
Stephen J. Sather
(1)			41,250				16,500				8,250			$	22.48				April 16, 2022
(1)			82,500				33,000				16,500			$	50.00				April 16, 2022
Laurance Roberts(2)			1,437				5,750				4,313			$	35.00				July 15, 2023
(2)			2,875				11,500				8,625			$	50.00				July 15, 2023
Kay Bogeajis(2)			1,437				5,750				4,313			$	35.00				July 29, 2023
(2)			2,875				11,500				8,625			$	50.00				July 29, 2023

(1)      50% of the option award vests based upon continued employment (“Time-Based Options”) and the remaining 50% shall vest based upon the attainment of certain performance goals (“Performance-Based Options”). 25% of the Time-Based Options vest on the date of grant and an additional 25% vest on each of the first three anniversaries of the date of grant. The Performance-Based Options vest 25% each year based upon the attainment of certain performance goals for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 or cumulative performance goals over all or a portion of this time period.

(2)      50% of the option award vests based upon continued employment (“Time-Based Options”) and the remaining 50% shall vest based upon the attainment of certain performance goals (“Performance-Based Options”). The Time-Based Options vest in four equal installments on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of grant. The Performance-Based Options vest 25% each year based upon the attainment of certain performance goal for the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 or cumulative performance goals over all or a portion of this time period.

Director Compensation

The following table provides compensation information for fiscal 2013 for each of our independent directors. Directors who are not independent do not receive compensation for their services as directors.

 

Name		Fees Earned or Paid in Cash				Total
Samuel N. Borgese		$	40,000			$	40,000
Douglas K. Ammerman		$	40,000			$	40,000

Each of our two independent directors, Messrs. Borgese and Ammerman, receive an annual cash retainer fee of $40,000, which is paid quarterly.

We are currently in the process of determining the appropriate compensation program for our independent directors for following this offering and we anticipate that the program will include customary compensation elements such as annual cash retainer fees, annual equity grants and reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the performance of director duties. We will provide further information on our director compensation program after it has been finalized.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Policy Concerning Related Party Transactions

We intend to adopt a written policy relating to the approval of related party transactions. Our Audit Committee will review certain financial transactions, arrangements and relationships between us and any of the following related parties to determine whether any such transaction, arrangement or relationship is a related party transaction:

 

•

any of our directors, director nominees or executive officers;

 

•

any beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding stock; and

 

•

any immediate family member of any of the foregoing.

Our Audit Committee will review any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship that:

 

•

involves or will involve, directly or indirectly, any related party identified above and is in an amount greater than $120,000;

 

•

would cast doubt on the independence of a director;

 

•

would present the appearance of a conflict of interest between us and the related party; or

 

•

is otherwise prohibited by law, rule or regulation.

The Audit Committee will review each such transaction, arrangement or relationship to determine whether a related party has, has had or expects to have a direct or indirect material interest. Following its review, the Audit Committee will take such action as it deems necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, including approving, disapproving, ratifying, canceling or recommending to management how to proceed if it determines a related party has a direct or indirect material interest in a transaction, arrangement or relationship with us. Any member of the Audit Committee who is a related party with respect to a transaction under review will not be permitted to participate in the discussions or evaluations of the transaction; however, the Audit Committee member will provide all material information concerning the transaction to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee will report its action with respect to any related party transaction to the board of directors.

Stockholders Agreement

We are a party to a stockholders agreement with LLC and certain third-party investors. The stockholders agreement permits (i) LLC to make an unlimited number of requests that we use our best efforts to register our shares under the Securities Act and (ii) Freeman Spogli to make two requests that we use our best efforts to register its shares under the Securities Act, for so long as they own 10% or more of the membership interests of LLC, two years after the completion of this offering. Pursuant to the stockholders agreement, LLC may also preempt any demand request by Freeman Spogli, in which case participation in such demand registration by LLC and Freeman Spogli shall be on a pro rata basis. In demand registrations, subject to certain exceptions, the parties to the stockholders agreement have certain rights to participate on a pro rata basis, subject to certain conditions. In addition, if we decide to sell our common stock, LLC and the other parties to the stockholders agreement, including members of our management, will also have certain rights to participate on a pro rata basis, subject to certain conditions. The LLC Agreement, described below, provides that, to the extent LLC does not exercise these “piggyback” rights, any member of LLC may require us to include in any registered offering the pro rata portion of securities owned by such member through LLC.

Upon the earlier of 180 days after an initial public offering or the end of the lock-up period described herein under “Underwriting—No Sales of Similar Securities,” LLC and its members will, under the stockholders agreement, be entitled, subject to certain exceptions, to exercise demand registration rights to register their shares of the common stock under the Securities Act. By exercising these registration rights, and selling a large number of shares of our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline. Approximately              shares of common stock will be subject to the registration rights agreement upon completion of this offering.

 

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At least 10 days prior to the anticipated filing date of any registration statement, notice will be given to all holders of registrable securities party to the stockholders agreement outlining their rights to include their shares in such registration statement, and we must use our best efforts to register any securities which such holders request, within 10 days of receipt of notice, to be registered. A stockholder may, until seven days prior to the effectiveness of a registration statement, withdraw any securities that it has previously elected to include pursuant to piggyback registration rights. Any sales of registrable securities pursuant to demand rights must be on the same terms and conditions as those applying to us or any selling stockholder.

After this offering, the stockholders with these registration rights will hold an aggregate of              shares of our common stock. We will be required to bear substantially all costs incurred in these registrations, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. The registration rights described above could result in substantial future expenses for us and adversely affect any future equity or debt offerings.

LLC Agreement

Affiliates of Trimaran, Freeman Spogli and certain other third-party investors have entered into a limited liability company operating agreement (the “LLC agreement”) for LLC. The LLC agreement generally restricts the transfer of interests in LLC owned by the parties other than affiliates of Trimaran. Exceptions to this restriction include transfers to affiliates. In addition, the third-party investors have “tag-along” rights to sell their interests on a pro rata basis with Trimaran affiliates in significant sales to third parties. Similarly, Trimaran affiliates have “drag-along” rights to cause Freeman Spogli and the third-party investors to sell their interests, on a pro rata basis with Trimaran affiliates, in significant sales to third parties. The members of LLC have preemptive rights in order to maintain their respective percentage ownership interests in LLC in the event of an issuance of additional membership interests.

The LLC agreement permits a member of LLC who holds more than 15% of LLC’s outstanding membership units, following the later of 270 days after the completion of this offering and the time we become eligible to register securities on Form S-3, to cause LLC to exercise its registration rights (as described under “—Stockholders Agreement”) with respect to the pro rata portion of securities owned by such member through LLC, subject to certain exceptions. To the extent that LLC does not exercise the “piggyback” rights described under “—Stockholders Agreement,” any member of LLC may require us to include in any registered offering the pro rata portion of securities owned by such member through LLC.

Under the terms of the LLC agreement, LLC is solely managed by a Trimaran affiliate. Through the LLC agreement, Trimaran affiliates also have the right to designate at least a majority of the directors on our board of directors, and other investors (including Freeman Spogli) holding at least 15% of the outstanding interests have the right to designate one director to our board of directors, provided that Freeman Spogli has the right to designate one director to our board of directors for so long as it owns 5% or more of LLC. The LLC agreement terminates and LLC will be dissolved and its affairs wound up at the earlier of (1) the election of the managing member or (2) six years following the completion of this offering.

Monitoring and Management Services Agreement

Under the terms of a monitoring and management services agreement, or management agreement, entered into between us and affiliates of Trimaran and Freeman Spogi (together, the “Sponsor Advisors”), we pay an annual advisory and monitoring fee of $357,000, which is paid in advance in quarterly installments of $89,250 to an affiliate of Trimaran and $143,000, which is paid in advance in quarterly installments of $35,750 to an affiliate of Freeman Spogli for services provided by the Sponsor Advisors to us. The management agreement provides that we indemnify the Sponsor Advisors and their affiliates and their respective partners, members, directors, officers, employees and agents in connection with the services rendered to us under the agreement. It also provides that we reimburse the Sponsor Advisors for certain services to be provided to us on a going-forward basis. The management agreement also provides for the payment of certain transaction fees payable by us to the Sponsor Advisors in connection with future investment banking and related services and for the reimbursement by us of expenses incurred by the Sponsor Advisors in connection with such services, if the Sponsor Advisors determine to provide such services.

 

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth information about the beneficial ownership of our common stock at                     , 2014, as adjusted to reflect the sale of the shares of common stock by us in this offering, for:

 

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each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock;

 

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each named executive officer;

 

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each of our directors; and

 

•

all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

Unless otherwise noted below, the address for each beneficial owner listed on the table is 3535 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, California 92626. We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the persons and entities named in the tables below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws. We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership on              shares of our common stock outstanding as of                     , 2014, and              shares of common stock outstanding after the completion of this offering.

In computing the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we deemed outstanding shares of common stock subject to options or restricted stock units held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of                     , 2014. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

 

		Shares Beneficially Owned Prior to this Offering				Shares Beneficially Owned After this Offering
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner		Number(1)		Percentage of Class		Number		Percentage of Class
Named Executive Officers and Directors:
Stephen J. Sather
Laurance Roberts
Kay Bogeajis
Michael G. Maselli
Dean C. Kehler
Wesley W. Barton
John M. Roth
Douglas K. Ammerman
Samuel N. Borgese
All directors and executive officers as a group (11 persons)
5% Stockholders:
Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C.
Investment funds affiliated with Trimaran Capital Partners(2)
Investment funds affiliated with Freeman Spogli & Co.(3)

 

(1)       * Less than one percent.

(2)       Trimaran Capital, L.L.C. owns 43,642.39 (1.31%) membership units of LLC, Trimaran Fund II, L.L.C. owns 675,922.05 (20.27%) membership units of LLC, Trimaran Parallell Fund II, L.P., owns 284,581.94 (8.53%) membership units of LLC, CIBC Employee Private Equity Fund (Trimaran) Partners owns 440,126.52 (13.20%) membership units of LLC and CIBC Capital Corporation owns 480,164.44 (14.40%) membership units of LLC. Trimaran Investments II, L.L.C. has sole power to vote and dispose of the shares held by the foregoing entities. Dean C. Kehler is a managing member of Trimaran Investments II, L.L.C., and as such may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power over the shares of common stock held by LLC. Dean C. Kehler disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares. The address of Trimaran Investments II, L.L.C. is c/o Trimaran Capital Partners, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

 

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(3)       FS Equity Partners V, L.P. owns 1,087,495.62 (32.61%) membership units of LLC and FS Affiliates V, L.P. owns 14,546.96 (0.44%) membership units of LLC. FS Capital Partners V, LLC, as the general partner of FS Equity Partners V, L.P. and FS Affiliates V, L.P., has the sole power to vote and dispose of the shares held by the foregoing entities. Messrs. Bradford M. Freeman, Todd W. Halloran, Jon D. Ralph, John M. Roth, J. Frederick Simmons, Ronald P. Spogli and William M. Wardlaw are managing members of FS Capital Partners V, LLC and Messrs. Freeman, Halloran, Ralph, Roth, Simmons, Spogli and Wardlaw are the members of Freeman Spogli & Co., and as such may be deemed to be the beneficial owners of the shares held by the foregoing entities. Messrs. Freeman, Halloran, Ralph, Roth, Simmons, Spogli and Wardlaw each disclaims beneficial ownership in the shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in them. The address of FS Capital Partners V, LLC is FS Capital Partners V, LLC c/o Freeman Spogli & Co., 11100 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 1900, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following is a summary of the rights and preferences of our capital stock and preferred stock, related provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws as will be in effect upon the completion of this offering, and certain applicable provisions of Delaware law. While we believe the following description covers the material terms of our capital stock, the description may not contain all of the information that is important to you. We encourage you to read carefully this entire prospectus, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the other documents we refer to for a more complete understanding of our capital stock. Copies of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

General

Upon completion of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of              shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share; and              shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

Upon completion of this offering, there will be outstanding              shares of common stock, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, and no outstanding shares of preferred stock.

Common Stock

Under our certificate of incorporation, each outstanding share of common stock will be entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and any amounts due to the holders of preferred stock. Holders of our common stock will have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights. No redemption or sinking fund provisions will apply to our common stock. Holders of our common stock will not have the right of cumulative voting in elections of directors, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of the directors standing for election, and the holders of the remaining shares are not able to elect any directors.

Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of our common stock will be entitled to receive ratably such dividends as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. For additional information, see “Dividend Policy.”

Preferred Stock

Our certificate of incorporation will authorize our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to issue up to              shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to or imposed upon each such series of preferred stock, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms, subscription rights and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of a series.

Our board of directors will be able to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock with voting and conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock and reduce the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments or payments upon liquidation. Such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock. Immediately after the completion of this offering, no shares of preferred stock will be outstanding, and we currently have no plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions

The following is a summary of certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, deter or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by stockholders.

 

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Classified Board of Directors

Our certificate of incorporation will provide for our board of directors to be divided into three classes of directors, as nearly equal in number as possible, serving staggered terms. Approximately one-third of our board of directors will be elected each year. Under Section 141 of the DGCL