Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information	Sep. 24, 2014	Nov. 07, 2014
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 24, 2014
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Trading Symbol	LOCO
Entity Registrant Name	El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001606366
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		36,948,886

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 41,825	$ 17,015
Restricted cash	125	131
Accounts and other receivables, net	5,720	5,906
Inventories	1,626	1,655
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,258	2,123
Deferred tax assets	577	442
Total current assets	53,131	27,272
Property and equipment owned, net	79,806	68,641
Property held under capital leases, net	142	180
Goodwill	248,674	249,324
Domestic trademarks	61,888	61,888
Other intangible assets, net	815	934
Deferred tax assets	28,014
Other assets	4,555	8,703
Total assets	477,025	416,942
Current liabilities:
Current portion of senior secured term loan	1,900	1,900
Current portion of obligations under capital leases	222	267
Accounts payable	14,716	12,316
Accrued salaries and vacation	7,419	8,594
Accrued insurance	3,946	3,597
Accrued income taxes payable		27
Accrued interest	2,236	4,182
Accrued advertising	868	265
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities	13,811	7,825
Total current liabilities	45,118	38,973
Noncurrent liabilities:
First lien term loan, net of current portion	185,907	187,190
Second lien term loan		99,038
Obligations under capital leases, net of current portion	691	847
Deferred tax liabilities		32,387
Other intangible liabilities, net	1,640	1,927
Other noncurrent liabilities	44,337	8,044
Total liabilities	277,693	368,406
Commitments, contingencies and subsequent events
Stockholder's Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; none outstanding	0	0
Common stock, $0.01 par value-200,000,000 shares authorized; 36,929,835 and 28,712,622 shares issued and outstanding	369	287
Additional paid-in-capital	352,977	240,151
Accumulated deficit	(154,014)	(191,902)
Total stockholder's equity	199,332	48,536
Total liabilities and stockholder's equity	$ 477,025	$ 416,942

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	36,929,835	28,712,622
Common stock, shares outstanding	36,929,835	28,712,622

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue	$ 80,861	$ 74,470	$ 238,432	$ 223,059
Franchise revenue	5,696	5,297	16,456	15,430
Total revenue	86,557	79,767	254,888	238,489
Cost of operations
Food and paper cost	25,881	23,705	75,834	70,608
Labor and related expenses	20,137	18,972	59,552	57,260
Occupancy and other operating expenses	18,102	16,393	51,091	47,791
Company restaurant expenses	64,120	59,070	186,477	175,659
General and administrative expenses	7,509	6,263	20,974	18,754
Franchise expenses	901	980	2,827	2,930
Depreciation and amortization	2,924	2,625	8,271	7,570
Loss on disposal of assets	118	153	609	734
Asset impairment and close-store reserves	22	25	415	126
Total expenses	75,594	69,116	219,573	205,773
Gain on sale of restaurants	2,658		2,658
Income from operations	13,621	10,651	37,973	32,716
Interest expense, net	3,960	9,863	15,286	29,443
Early extinguishment of debt	5,082		5,082
Income tax receivable agreement expense	40,119		40,119
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(35,540)	788	(22,514)	3,273
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(61,389)	(130)	(60,402)	2,005
Net income	$ 25,849	$ 918	$ 37,888	$ 1,268
Net income per share
Basic	$ 0.76	$ 0.03	$ 1.24	$ 0.04
Diluted	$ 0.70	$ 0.03	$ 1.13	$ 0.04
Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share
Basic	34,221,829	28,712,622	30,549,979	28,712,622
Diluted	37,171,670	29,564,795	33,499,820	29,564,795

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 37,888	$ 1,268
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	8,271	7,570
Stock-based compensation expense	635	191
Interest accretion	250	4,854
Income tax receivable agreement expense	40,119
Gain on sale of restaurants	(2,658)
Loss on disposal of assets	568	686
Early extinguishment of debt	5,082
Impairment of property and equipment	62	45
Close-store reserve	353	81
Amortization of deferred financing costs	1,173	1,538
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable leases, net	(168)	(159)
Deferred income taxes, net	(60,536)	1,979
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and other receivables, net	186	(1,979)
Inventories	29	50
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(1,215)	(1,219)
Income taxes payable	(27)	(3)
Other assets	491	91
Accounts payable	(457)	2,150
Accrued salaries and vacation	(1,202)	(1,459)
Accrued insurance	349	343
Other accrued expenses and liabilities	649	(3,499)
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	29,842	12,528
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of restaurants	5,435	15
Purchase of property and equipment	(19,414)	(10,169)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(13,979)	(10,154)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on senior secured loan	(101,425)	(1,275)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of expenses	112,300
Payment of call premium on notes	(1,512)
Payment of obligations under capital leases	(201)	(168)
Amendment fee	(215)
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	8,947	(1,443)
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	24,810	931
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	17,015	21,487
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	41,825	22,418
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash paid during the period for interest	15,705	26,380
Cash paid during the period for income taxes, net	161	29
Unpaid purchases of property and equipment	2,857	562
Cashless stock option exercise	$ (27)

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Overview El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are collectively known as “we,” “us” or the “Company.” Our activities are conducted principally through our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“EPL”), which develops, franchises, licenses, and operates quick-service restaurants under the name El Pollo Loco^® and operates under one business segment. At September 24, 2014, we operated 166 and franchised 239 El Pollo Loco restaurants. Basis of Presentation We have prepared the accompanying interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for the fair presentation of our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows for the periods presented have been included and are of a normal, recurring nature. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 25, 2013, included in our prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) on July 28, 2014. 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 2013, which was a 52-week year, ended on December 25, 2013. Fiscal 2014, which is a 53-week year, will end on December 31, 2014. Because fiscal 2014 is a 53-week year, both revenues and expenses, and other financial and operational figures, may be on an elevated scale compared with 52-week periods both before and after. On July 14, 2014, we amended our certificate of incorporation to increase our authorized share count to 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and split our stock 8.56381:1. On July 24, 2014, we amended and restated our certificate of incorporation to, among other things, increase our authorized share count to 300,000,000 shares of stock, including 200,000,000 shares of common stock and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, each par value $0.01 per share. On July 30, 2014, we completed our initial public offering of 8,214,286 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $15.00 per share (the “IPO”), including 1,071,429 shares sold to the underwriters pursuant to their option to purchase additional shares. After underwriting discounts, commissions, and fees and expenses of IPO offering and distribution, as set forth in our registration statement for the IPO on Form S-1, we received net IPO proceeds of approximately $112.3 million. We used these proceeds primarily to repay in whole a $100 million second lien term loan (the “Second Lien Term Loan”). All share and per-share data herein have been adjusted to reflect the 8.56381 for 1 common stock split effected on July 14, 2014 as though it had occurred prior to the earliest data presented. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Holdings and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, and (ii) revenue and expenses during the period reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Our significant estimates include estimates for (i) impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and plant and equipment, (ii) insurance reserves, (iii) lease termination liabilities, (iv) stock-based compensation, and (v) income tax valuation allowances. Reclassifications Certain comparative prior year amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously-reported net income. Liquidity Our principal liquidity requirements are to service our debt and to meet capital expenditure needs. At September 24, 2014, our total debt was $188.7 million. Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures depends on available cash and on our ability to generate adequate cash flows in the future, which, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond our control. Based on current operations, we believe that our cash flow from operations, available cash of $41.8 million at September 24, 2014, and available borrowings under our $15 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolver”) (which availability was approximately $7.7 million at September 24, 2014) will be adequate to meet our liquidity needs for the next 12 months. Concentration of Risk We have two suppliers for which amounts due at September 24, 2014, and December 25, 2013, totaled 43% and 45% and 11% and 11%, respectively, of our accounts payable. Purchases from the same suppliers accounted for the majority of our purchases for the periods ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013. Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 79% and 80% of revenue for the thirteen weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013 respectively, and approximately 80% for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013. Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets Our indefinite lived intangible assets consist of trademarks. Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of net identified assets acquired in business combinations accounted for under the purchase method. We do not amortize our goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets. Upon the sale of a restaurant, we decrement goodwill. The amount of goodwill that we include in the cost basis of the asset sold is determined based on the relative fair value of the reporting unit disposed of as a percentage of the fair value of the reporting unit retained. We perform annual impairment tests for goodwill during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. We review goodwill for impairment utilizing either a qualitative assessment or a two-step process. If we decide that it is appropriate to perform a qualitative assessment and conclude that the fair value of a reporting unit more likely than not exceeds its carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary. If we perform the two-step process, the first step of the goodwill impairment test is used to identify potential impairment by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired and the second step of the impairment test is unnecessary. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the goodwill to a determination of the implied value of the goodwill. If the carrying amount of goodwill is greater than the implied value, an impairment charge is recognized for the difference. We perform annual impairment tests for indefinite lived intangible assets during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. An impairment test consists of either a qualitative assessment or a comparison of the fair value of an intangible asset with its carrying amount. The excess of the carrying amount of an intangible asset over its fair value is its impairment loss. We did not identify any indicators of potential impairment during the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and therefore did not perform any impairment review. *Gain on Sale of Restaurants* On September 24, 2014, we completed an agreement to sell six company-operated restaurants in the greater San Antonio area to AA Pollo, Inc., resulting in cash proceeds of $5.4 million. Goodwill was decremented by $650,000, based on a calculation of the fair value of the restaurants sold as a percentage of the relative fair value of the remainder of the reporting units retained. We recognized a net gain of $2.7 million on this transaction, which is recorded as a gain on sale of restaurants in the accompanying statement of operations. These six restaurants will now be franchised. In addition, in connection with the sale, AA Pollo, Inc., entered into an exclusive development agreement with us to develop and open eight restaurants in the greater San Antonio area. We have also agreed to an additional exclusive franchise development agreement with AA Pollo, Inc., for the development of twelve restaurants in the Houston area. Income Taxes Provision for income taxes, income taxes payable, and deferred income taxes are determined using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. On a periodic basis, we assess the probability that our net deferred tax assets, if any, will be recovered. If, after evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, we conclude that it is more likely than not that some or all of our net deferred tax assets will not be recovered, we provide for a valuation allowance by charging to tax expense to reserve the portion of deferred tax assets that we do not expect to be realized. At December 25, 2013, we maintained a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. After evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, including our continued profitability and the reduction in interest expense resulting from the 2013 Refinancing (as defined below), our completed initial public offering and the resultant payoff of the Second Lien Term Loan, we concluded that it is more likely than not that our net deferred tax assets will be recovered. As a result, during the quarter ending September 24, 2014, we released our valuation allowance of approximately $65 million. In addition, during the quarter, we applied for various tax credits that resulted in $5.4 million of additional deferred tax assets and tax benefits. We review our filing positions for all open tax years in all U.S. federal and state jurisdictions where we are required to file. 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 respective 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 benefit associated with the position. We recognize a benefit for a tax position that meets the “more likely than not” criterion at 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 the benefit being sustained. The final resolution of uncertain tax positions could result in adjustments to recorded amounts and may affect our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. We recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. We had no accrual for interest or penalties at September 24, 2014, or at December 25, 2013, and did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013, respectively, since we had no material unrecognized tax benefits. We do not anticipate material changes in our amount of unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months. On July 30, 2014, we entered into an Income Tax Receivable Agreement (the “TRA”). The TRA calls for us to pay to our pre-IPO stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that we realize in our taxes as a result of utilizing our net operating losses and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods. In connection with the TRA, we have amended our first lien credit agreement (the “First Lien Credit Agreement”) to permit dividend payments to us by our subsidiaries in amounts up to $11 million per fiscal year, not to exceed $33 million in the aggregate, while the First Lien Credit Agreement is outstanding. During the quarter, we incurred a charge of approximately $40 million relating to the present value of our total expected TRA payments. Franchise Development Option Agreement On July 11, 2014, EPL and Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. (“LLC”) entered into a Franchise Development Option Agreement relating to development of our restaurants in the New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area (the “Territory”). EPL granted LLC the exclusive option to develop and open fifteen restaurants in the Territory over five years (the “Initial Option”), and, provided that the Initial Option is exercised, the exclusive option to develop and open up to an additional one hundred restaurants in the Territory over ten years. The Franchise Development Option Agreement terminates (i) ten years after execution, or (ii) if the Initial Option is exercised, five years after that exercise. LLC may only exercise the Initial Option if EPL first determines to begin development of company-operated restaurants in the Territory or support the development of the Territory. We have no current intention to begin development in the Territory.

Property and Equipment

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment

2. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Below are costs and related accumulated depreciation and amortization of major classes of property, in thousands.


	September 24, 2014			December 25, 2013
Land	$	12,323		$	13,186
Buildings and improvements		86,985			78,181
Other property and equipment		48,813			46,079
Construction in progress		5,449			815

		153,570			138,261
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(73,764	)		(69,620	)

	$	79,806		$	68,641

Depreciation expense was $2.9 million and $2.6 million and $8.3 million and $7.6 million for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013, respectively. The gross value of assets under capital leases was $1.8 million at September 24, 2014, and $1.9 million at December 25, 2013, and corresponding accumulated depreciation was $1.7 million for both periods. For the thirteen weeks ended September 24, 2014, capital expenditures totaled $8.6 million, including $2.2 million for restaurant remodeling, $5.0 million for new restaurant expenditures, and $1.4 million for other corporate capital requirements. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, capital expenditures totaled $19.0 million, including $7.6 million for restaurant remodeling, $8.1 million for new restaurant expenditures, and $3.3 million for other corporate capital requirements.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Includes, but is not limited to, accounting policies and methodology, roll forwards, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, including composite depreciation, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, useful lives and method used, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

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Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation	Sep. 24, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION At September 24, 2014, options to purchase 3,554,926 shares of common stock were outstanding, including 2,161,184 vested and 1,393,742 unvested. Unvested options vest over time, or upon our achieving annual financial goals. However, upon a change in control, the board may accelerate vesting. At September 24, 2014, 2,062,442 premium options remained outstanding. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, there was one exercise of stock options for 739 shares. In connection with the completion of our IPO, we granted options to purchase 223,183 shares of our common stock with an exercise price of $15.00, the IPO price and fair market value as of the date of grant, to selected employees who are not our executive officers. We expect to incur approximately $1.3 million of stock-based compensation expense in connection with these grants, which we will expense over four years. In addition, in connection with the completion of our IPO, we granted two of our directors restricted grants for 3,333 shares each, equivalent to $50,000 divided by our public offering price. These grants vest based on continued service over three years. Based on our share price when the grants were consummated, we expect to incur approximately $330,000 of stock-based compensation expense as the grants vest. At September 24, 2014, we had total unrecognized compensation expense of $2.3 million, related to unvested stock options and restricted shares, which we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 1.2 years.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for compensation-related costs for equity-based compensation, which may include disclosure of policies, compensation plan details, allocation of equity compensation, incentive distributions, equity-based arrangements to obtain goods and services, deferred compensation arrangements, employee stock ownership plan details and employee stock purchase plan details.

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Credit Agreements	9 Months Ended
Credit Agreements	Sep. 24, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Credit Agreements	4. CREDIT AGREEMENTS On October 11, 2013, we refinanced our debt (the “2013 Refinancing”), entering into (i) the First Lien Credit Agreement, including a $190 million senior secured term loan (the “First Lien Term Loan”) and the Revolver, each maturing in October 2018, and (ii) a new second lien credit agreement (the “Second Lien Credit Agreement”), including the Second Lien Term Loan. The proceeds received from the term loans were used to pay off our prior credit agreements, including our senior secured first lien credit facility due July 2017 and our 17% second priority senior secured notes due January 2018. Loans under the First Lien Credit Agreement bear interest, at EPL’s option, at LIBOR or an Alternate Base Rate, plus an applicable margin of 4.25% with respect to LIBOR and 3.25% with respect to the Alternate Base Rate, with a 1.00% floor with respect to LIBOR. The First Lien Term Loan was issued at a discount of $950,000, and this discount is being accreted over the term of the loan, using the effective interest method. The unamortized discount at September 24, 2014, is $768,000. The First Lien Term Loan requires quarterly principal payments of 0.25%, commencing on March 26, 2014. The First Lien Term Loan and the Revolver are secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the assets of EPL and of EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“Intermediate”), EPL’s direct parent. The Revolver provides a $15 million revolving line of credit. At September 24, 2014, $7.3 million in letters of credit were outstanding, and $7.7 million was available to borrow. Loans under the Second Lien Credit Agreement bore interest, at EPL’s option, at LIBOR or an Alternate Base Rate, plus an applicable margin of 8.50% with respect to LIBOR and 7.50% with respect to the Alternate Base Rate, with a 1.00% floor with respect to LIBOR. The Second Lien Term Loan was issued at a discount of $1.0 million, and this discount was accreted over the term of the loan, using the effective interest method. Following our IPO, we fully repaid the Second Lien Term Loan. In conjunction with the repayment of the Second Lien Term Loan, we incurred an extinguishment of debt charge of $5.1 million, consisting of $1.5 million in call premium, $2.7 million related to the write-off of remaining unamortized deferred finance costs, and $0.9 million relating to the write-off of the unamortized discount. The First Lien Credit Agreement contains a number of negative and financial covenants, including, among others, the following (all subject to certain exceptions): a maximum total leverage ratio covenant, a minimum interest coverage ratio covenant, and limitations on indebtedness, liens, investments, asset sales, mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions, restricted payments, and negative pledges. The First Lien Credit Agreement also contains certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default. At September 24, 2014, we were in compliance with all covenants.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.

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Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities

5. OTHER ACCRUED EXPENSES AND CURRENT LIABILITIES

Other accrued expenses and current liabilities consist of the following, in thousands.


	September 24, 2014		December 25, 2013
Accrued sales and property taxes	$	4,178	$	3,190
TRA payable		4,170		—
Other		5,463		4,635

Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$	13,811	$	7,825

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

6. OTHER NONCURRENT LIABILITIES

Other noncurrent liabilities consist of the following, in thousands.


	September 24, 2014		December 25, 2013
Deferred rent	$	6,750	$	6,648
TRA payable		35,949		—
Other		1,638		1,396

Total noncurrent liabilities	$	44,337	$	8,044

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Sep. 24, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Matters Around 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 included 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, its ultimate outcome is presently not determinable, as it is in a preliminary phase. Thus, we cannot determine the likelihood of an adverse judgment nor a likely range of damages, if any. A settlement or adverse judgment could have a material adverse impact. We are involved in various claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these actions will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources. A significant increase in the number of claims or an increase in amounts payable under successful claims could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Purchasing Commitments We have long-term beverage supply agreements with certain major beverage vendors. Pursuant to the terms of these arrangements, marketing rebates are provided to us and our franchisees from beverage vendors based upon dollar volumes of purchases system-wide, which vary with demand for and the price of syrup. Our contracts extend so far as 2017, and our estimated obligations under them total $19.9 million. We have two supplier contracts for chicken that terminate in December 2014 and January 2015. We entered into these agreements in December 2013 at costs comparable to those of the contracts that preceded them. At September 24, 2014, our estimated obligations under them totaled $7.6 million. Contingent Lease Obligations We are contingently liable for two leases that we assigned to franchisees. The latest lease expires in 2015. At September 24, 2014, our maximum exposure was $52,000, or $45,000, if discounted at our estimated pre-tax cost of debt. In the event of a franchisee default, we could cross-default the franchisee under its franchise agreement. We believe that cross-default provisions reduce our risk of payments, and we have not recorded any liability in our condensed consolidated financial statements related to these liabilities. Employment Agreements We have at-will employment agreements with four of our officers. These agreements provide for minimum salary levels, possible annual adjustments for cost-of-living changes, and incentive bonuses payable under certain conditions. Indemnification Agreements We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and executive officers. These agreements require us to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them where they could be indemnified. We also intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our future directors and executive officers.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies.

+ References+ Details

Net Income Per Share

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Net Income Per Share

8. NET INCOME PER SHARE

Basic net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013. Diluted net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding and potentially dilutive during the period, using the treasury stock method.

Below are our basic and diluted net income per share data for the periods indicated, which are in thousands except for per share data.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013		September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013
Numerator:
Net income	$	25,849	$	918	$	37,888	$	1,268

Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		34,221,829		28,712,622		30,549,979		28,712,622
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		37,171,670		29,564,795		33,499,820		29,564,795

Net income per share—basic	$	0.76	$	0.03	$	1.24	$	0.04
Net income per share—diluted	$	0.70	$	0.03	$	1.13	$	0.04

Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		—		218,356		—		218,356

Below is a reconciliation of basic and diluted share counts.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013		September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		34,221,829		28,712,622		30,549,979		28,712,622
Dilutive effect of stock options		2,949,841		852,173		2,949,841		852,173

Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		37,171,670		29,564,795		33,499,820		29,564,795

- Definition

The entire disclosure for earnings per share.

+ References+ Details

Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions	Sep. 24, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	9. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Trimaran Capital L.L.C., and Freeman Spogli & Co., (together our “Sponsors”), indirectly beneficially own shares sufficient for majority control over all matters requiring stockholder votes, including elections of directors, mergers, consolidations, acquisitions, sales of all or substantially all of our assets, other decisions affecting our capital structure, amendments to our certificate of incorporation or by-laws, and our winding up and dissolution. Furthermore, so long as our Sponsors investment vehicle, owns a majority of our common stock, they can appoint the members of our board of directors. On November 18, 2005, we entered into a Monitoring and Management Services Agreement with Trimaran Fund Management, LLC, providing for annual fees of $500,000 and reasonable expenses. During the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013, $51,000 and $142,000 and $343,000 and $465,000, respectively, were paid under the agreement, and accounted for as general and administrative expenses. In connection with the IPO, we have terminated the agreement.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for related party transactions. Examples of related party transactions include transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiary; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) and entity and its principal owners; and (d) affiliates.

+ References+ Details

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation We have prepared the accompanying interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for the fair presentation of our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows for the periods presented have been included and are of a normal, recurring nature. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 25, 2013, included in our prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) on July 28, 2014. 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 2013, which was a 52-week year, ended on December 25, 2013. Fiscal 2014, which is a 53-week year, will end on December 31, 2014. Because fiscal 2014 is a 53-week year, both revenues and expenses, and other financial and operational figures, may be on an elevated scale compared with 52-week periods both before and after. On July 14, 2014, we amended our certificate of incorporation to increase our authorized share count to 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and split our stock 8.56381:1. On July 24, 2014, we amended and restated our certificate of incorporation to, among other things, increase our authorized share count to 300,000,000 shares of stock, including 200,000,000 shares of common stock and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, each par value $0.01 per share. On July 30, 2014, we completed our initial public offering of 8,214,286 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $15.00 per share (the “IPO”), including 1,071,429 shares sold to the underwriters pursuant to their option to purchase additional shares. After underwriting discounts, commissions, and fees and expenses of IPO offering and distribution, as set forth in our registration statement for the IPO on Form S-1, we received net IPO proceeds of approximately $112.3 million. We used these proceeds primarily to repay in whole a $100 million second lien term loan (the “Second Lien Term Loan”). All share and per-share data herein have been adjusted to reflect the 8.56381 for 1 common stock split effected on July 14, 2014 as though it had occurred prior to the earliest data presented. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Holdings and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, and (ii) revenue and expenses during the period reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Our significant estimates include estimates for (i) impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and plant and equipment, (ii) insurance reserves, (iii) lease termination liabilities, (iv) stock-based compensation, and (v) income tax valuation allowances.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications Certain comparative prior year amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously-reported net income.
Liquidity	Liquidity Our principal liquidity requirements are to service our debt and to meet capital expenditure needs. At September 24, 2014, our total debt was $188.7 million. Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures depends on available cash and on our ability to generate adequate cash flows in the future, which, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond our control. Based on current operations, we believe that our cash flow from operations, available cash of $41.8 million at September 24, 2014, and available borrowings under our $15 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolver”) (which availability was approximately $7.7 million at September 24, 2014) will be adequate to meet our liquidity needs for the next 12 months.
Concentration of Risk	Concentration of Risk We have two suppliers for which amounts due at September 24, 2014, and December 25, 2013, totaled 43% and 45% and 11% and 11%, respectively, of our accounts payable. Purchases from the same suppliers accounted for the majority of our purchases for the periods ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013. Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 79% and 80% of revenue for the thirteen weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013 respectively, and approximately 80% for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013.
Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets Our indefinite lived intangible assets consist of trademarks. Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of net identified assets acquired in business combinations accounted for under the purchase method. We do not amortize our goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets. Upon the sale of a restaurant, we decrement goodwill. The amount of goodwill that we include in the cost basis of the asset sold is determined based on the relative fair value of the reporting unit disposed of as a percentage of the fair value of the reporting unit retained. We perform annual impairment tests for goodwill during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. We review goodwill for impairment utilizing either a qualitative assessment or a two-step process. If we decide that it is appropriate to perform a qualitative assessment and conclude that the fair value of a reporting unit more likely than not exceeds its carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary. If we perform the two-step process, the first step of the goodwill impairment test is used to identify potential impairment by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired and the second step of the impairment test is unnecessary. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the goodwill to a determination of the implied value of the goodwill. If the carrying amount of goodwill is greater than the implied value, an impairment charge is recognized for the difference. We perform annual impairment tests for indefinite lived intangible assets during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. An impairment test consists of either a qualitative assessment or a comparison of the fair value of an intangible asset with its carrying amount. The excess of the carrying amount of an intangible asset over its fair value is its impairment loss. We did not identify any indicators of potential impairment during the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and therefore did not perform any impairment review.
Gain on Sale of Restaurants	*Gain on Sale of Restaurants* On September 24, 2014, we completed an agreement to sell six company-operated restaurants in the greater San Antonio area to AA Pollo, Inc., resulting in cash proceeds of $5.4 million. Goodwill was decremented by $650,000, based on a calculation of the fair value of the restaurants sold as a percentage of the relative fair value of the remainder of the reporting units retained. We recognized a net gain of $2.7 million on this transaction, which is recorded as a gain on sale of restaurants in the accompanying statement of operations. These six restaurants will now be franchised. In addition, in connection with the sale, AA Pollo, Inc., entered into an exclusive development agreement with us to develop and open eight restaurants in the greater San Antonio area. We have also agreed to an additional exclusive franchise development agreement with AA Pollo, Inc., for the development of twelve restaurants in the Houston area.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Provision for income taxes, income taxes payable, and deferred income taxes are determined using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. On a periodic basis, we assess the probability that our net deferred tax assets, if any, will be recovered. If, after evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, we conclude that it is more likely than not that some or all of our net deferred tax assets will not be recovered, we provide for a valuation allowance by charging to tax expense to reserve the portion of deferred tax assets that we do not expect to be realized. At December 25, 2013, we maintained a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. After evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, including our continued profitability and the reduction in interest expense resulting from the 2013 Refinancing (as defined below), our completed initial public offering and the resultant payoff of the Second Lien Term Loan, we concluded that it is more likely than not that our net deferred tax assets will be recovered. As a result, during the quarter ending September 24, 2014, we released our valuation allowance of approximately $65 million. In addition, during the quarter, we applied for various tax credits that resulted in $5.4 million of additional deferred tax assets and tax benefits. We review our filing positions for all open tax years in all U.S. federal and state jurisdictions where we are required to file. 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 respective 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 benefit associated with the position. We recognize a benefit for a tax position that meets the “more likely than not” criterion at 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 the benefit being sustained. The final resolution of uncertain tax positions could result in adjustments to recorded amounts and may affect our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. We recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. We had no accrual for interest or penalties at September 24, 2014, or at December 25, 2013, and did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, and September 25, 2013, respectively, since we had no material unrecognized tax benefits. We do not anticipate material changes in our amount of unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months. On July 30, 2014, we entered into an Income Tax Receivable Agreement (the “TRA”). The TRA calls for us to pay to our pre-IPO stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that we realize in our taxes as a result of utilizing our net operating losses and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods. In connection with the TRA, we have amended our first lien credit agreement (the “First Lien Credit Agreement”) to permit dividend payments to us by our subsidiaries in amounts up to $11 million per fiscal year, not to exceed $33 million in the aggregate, while the First Lien Credit Agreement is outstanding. During the quarter, we incurred a charge of approximately $40 million relating to the present value of our total expected TRA payments.
Franchise Development Option Agreement	Franchise Development Option Agreement On July 11, 2014, EPL and Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. (“LLC”) entered into a Franchise Development Option Agreement relating to development of our restaurants in the New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area (the “Territory”). EPL granted LLC the exclusive option to develop and open fifteen restaurants in the Territory over five years (the “Initial Option”), and, provided that the Initial Option is exercised, the exclusive option to develop and open up to an additional one hundred restaurants in the Territory over ten years. The Franchise Development Option Agreement terminates (i) ten years after execution, or (ii) if the Initial Option is exercised, five years after that exercise. LLC may only exercise the Initial Option if EPL first determines to begin development of company-operated restaurants in the Territory or support the development of the Territory. We have no current intention to begin development in the Territory.

Property and Equipment (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Schedule of Costs and Related Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization of Major Classes of Property

Below are costs and related accumulated depreciation and amortization of major classes of property, in thousands.


	September 24, 2014			December 25, 2013
Land	$	12,323		$	13,186
Buildings and improvements		86,985			78,181
Other property and equipment		48,813			46,079
Construction in progress		5,449			815

		153,570			138,261
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(73,764	)		(69,620	)

	$	79,806		$	68,641

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities

Other accrued expenses and current liabilities consist of the following, in thousands.


	September 24, 2014		December 25, 2013
Accrued sales and property taxes	$	4,178	$	3,190
TRA payable		4,170		—
Other		5,463		4,635

Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$	13,811	$	7,825

Other Noncurrent Liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of Other Noncurrent Liabilities

Other noncurrent liabilities consist of the following, in thousands.


	September 24, 2014		December 25, 2013
Deferred rent	$	6,750	$	6,648
TRA payable		35,949		—
Other		1,638		1,396

Total noncurrent liabilities	$	44,337	$	8,044

Net Income Per Share (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 24, 2014

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Schedule of Earning Per Share

Below are our basic and diluted net income per share data for the periods indicated, which are in thousands except for per share data.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013		September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013
Numerator:
Net income	$	25,849	$	918	$	37,888	$	1,268

Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		34,221,829		28,712,622		30,549,979		28,712,622
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		37,171,670		29,564,795		33,499,820		29,564,795

Net income per share—basic	$	0.76	$	0.03	$	1.24	$	0.04
Net income per share—diluted	$	0.70	$	0.03	$	1.13	$	0.04

Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		—		218,356		—		218,356

Schedule of Reconciliation of Basic and Diluted Share Counts

Below is a reconciliation of basic and diluted share counts.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013		September 24, 2014		September 25, 2013
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		34,221,829		28,712,622		30,549,979		28,712,622
Dilutive effect of stock options		2,949,841		852,173		2,949,841		852,173

Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		37,171,670		29,564,795		33,499,820		29,564,795

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended							9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2014	Jul. 14, 2014	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014 Segment	Sep. 25, 2013	Jul. 30, 2014	Jul. 24, 2014	Jul. 14, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013	Dec. 26, 2012	Sep. 24, 2014 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Dec. 25, 2013 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Sep. 24, 2014 Supplier One [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Dec. 25, 2013 Supplier One [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Supplier Two [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Dec. 25, 2013 Supplier Two [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Los Angeles [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 25, 2013 Los Angeles [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Los Angeles [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 25, 2013 Los Angeles [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 Over-Allotment Option [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 AA Pollo, Inc. [Member] Restaurants	Jul. 11, 2014 Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member] Franchise Development Agreement [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member] Franchise Development Agreement [Member]	Jul. 11, 2014 Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member] Initial Option [Member]	Jul. 11, 2014 Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member] Initial Option [Member] Restaurants	Jul. 11, 2014 Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member] Additional Option [Member]	Jul. 11, 2014 Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member] Additional Option [Member] Restaurants	Sep. 24, 2014 San Antonio Area [Member] AA Pollo, Inc. [Member] Franchise Development Agreement [Member] Restaurants	Sep. 24, 2014 Houston Area [Member] AA Pollo, Inc. [Member] Franchise Development Agreement [Member] Restaurants	Jul. 30, 2014 Maximum [Member] First Lien Credit Agreement [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 Second Lien Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Entity Operated Units [Member] Restaurants	Sep. 24, 2014 Franchised Units [Member] Restaurants
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants																												15		100	8	12			166	239
Number of operating segments					1
Common stock, shares authorized			200,000,000		200,000,000			200,000,000	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, par value			$ 0.01		$ 0.01			$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Stock split ratio		8.56381
Shares of stock authorized								300,000,000
Preferred stock, shares authorized			100,000,000		100,000,000			100,000,000		100,000,000
Preferred stock, par value			$ 0.01		$ 0.01			$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Common stock issued under IPO	8,214,286																						1,071,429
Common stock sale price, per share							$ 15.00
Proceeds from issuance initial public offering	$ 112,300,000
Payment of second lien term loan																																		100,000,000
Stock split effective date	Jul. 14, 2014
Total amount of outstanding debt			188,700,000		188,700,000
Cash available			41,825,000	22,418,000	41,825,000	22,418,000				17,015,000	21,487,000
Revolving line of credit																						15,000,000
Amount of borrowings available																						7,700,000
Number of suppliers												2	2
Percentage of accounts payable or revenue														43.00%	45.00%	11.00%	11.00%	79.00%	80.00%	80.00%	80.00%
Number of restaurants sold																								6
Cash proceeds from sale of restaurants					5,435,000	15,000
Goodwill					(650,000)
Gain on sale of restaurant			2,658,000		2,658,000
Valuation allowance released			65,000,000
Additional deferred tax asset and tax benefit			5,400,000
Unrecognized tax benefits, accrual of interest or penalties			0		0					0
Unrecognized tax benefits, interest or penalties expenses			0	0	0	0
Percentage of cash savings in taxes realized as a result of utilizing net operating losses payable to pre-IPO stockholders	85.00%
Dividends receivable from subsidiaries per fiscal year																																	11,000,000
Total dividends receivable from subsidiaries																																	33,000,000
Charge relating to present value of total expected TRA payments			$ 40,119,000		$ 40,119,000
Number of years available under plan																											5 years		10 years
Related party agreement, termination period																									10 years
Related party agreement, termination description																										The Franchise Development Option Agreement terminates (i) ten years after execution, or (ii) if the Initial Option is exercised, five years after that exercise.

Property and Equipment - Schedule of Costs and Related Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization of Major Classes of Property (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 153,570	$ 138,261
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(73,764)	(69,620)
Property and equipment, net	79,806	68,641
Land [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	12,323	13,186
Buildings and Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	86,985	78,181
Other Property and Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	48,813	46,079
Construction in Progress [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 5,449	$ 815

Property and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Dec. 25, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation expense	$ 2.9	$ 2.6	$ 8.3	$ 7.6
Gross value of assets under capital leases	1.8		1.8		1.9
Accumulated depreciation of assets under capital leases	1.7		1.7		1.7
Capital expenditures	8.6		19.0
Capital expenditures for restaurant remodeling	2.2		7.6
Capital expenditures for new restaurants	5.0		8.1
Capital expenditures for other corporate capital requirements	$ 1.4		$ 3.3

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	3,554,926
Common stock, options vested	2,161,184
Common stock, options unvested	1,393,742
Stock options exercised	739
Unrecognized compensation expense, recognition period	1 year 2 months 12 days
Unrecognized compensation expense	$ 2,300,000
Non Executive Employees [Member] \| Initial Public Offering [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options to purchase common stock granted	223,183
Stock options exercise price	$ 15.00
Unrecognized compensation expense	1,300,000
Unrecognized compensation expense, recognition period	4 years
Premium Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	2,062,442
Restricted Grants [Member] \| Initial Public Offering [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of directors granted shares	2
Restricted Grants [Member] \| Directors [Member] \| Initial Public Offering [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted shares granted	3,333
Value of restricted grants	50,000
Vesting period of shares	3 years
Stock-based compensation expense to be incurred, restricted grants	$ 330,000

Credit Agreements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 24, 2014	Oct. 11, 2013 Second Priority Senior Secured Notes Due January 2018 [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 Second Priority Senior Secured Notes Due January 2018 [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 Senior Secured First Lien Credit Facility Due July 2017 [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] LIBOR [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] LIBOR [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Alternate Base Rate [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Senior Secured Term Loan [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] First Lien Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] First Lien Term Loan [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] First Lien Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Second Lien Credit Agreement [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 Second Lien Credit Agreement [Member] LIBOR [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 Second Lien Credit Agreement [Member] LIBOR [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 Second Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Alternate Base Rate [Member]	Oct. 11, 2013 Second Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Second Lien Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit agreement		(i) the First Lien Credit Agreement, including a $190 million senior secured term loan (the "First Lien Term Loan") and the Revolver, each maturing in October 2018, and (ii) a new second lien credit agreement (the "Second Lien Credit Agreement"), including the Second Lien Term Loan.
Senior secured term loan											$ 190,000,000
Debt instrument, stated percentage				17.00%
Debt maturity			2018-01		2017-07	2018-10
Applicable margin for lien credit agreement							4.25%		3.25%							8.50%		7.50%
Floor rate on term loan								1.00%									1.00%
Unamortized discount on term loan													768,000	950,000					1,000,000
Percentage of quarterly principal payments												0.25%
Revolving line of credit										15,000,000
Amount of borrowings available										7,700,000
Letters of credit outstanding										7,300,000
Early extinguishment of debt	5,082,000	5,082,000													5,082,000
Call premium		1,512,000													1,512,000
Write off of the remaining unamortized deferred finance costs															2,700,000
Write off of the unamortized discount															$ 900,000

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities - Schedule of Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued sales and property taxes	$ 4,178	$ 3,190
TRA payable	4,170
Other	5,463	4,635
Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$ 13,811	$ 7,825

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable arising from transactions not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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- Definition

Aggregate carrying amount of current liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer) not separately disclosed in the balance sheet. Includes costs that are statutory in nature, are incurred on contractual obligations, or accumulate over time and for which invoices have not yet been received or will not be rendered and of liabilities not separately disclosed.

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Other Noncurrent Liabilities - Schedule of Other Noncurrent Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Deferred rent	$ 6,750	$ 6,648
TRA payable	35,949
Other	1,638	1,396
Total noncurrent liabilities	$ 44,337	$ 8,044

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Date of class action filed in court	Around February 24, 2014
Officers [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Number of at-will employment agreements	4
Property Lease Guarantee [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Number of leases assigned to franchisees	2
Latest lease expiration year	2015
Contingent lease obligations, maximum exposure	$ 52,000
Contingent lease obligations, maximum exposure, if discounted at estimated pre-tax cost of debt	45,000
Beverage [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments, estimated obligations	19,900,000
Chicken [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments, estimated obligations	$ 7,600,000
Number of supplier contracts for chicken	2
Chicken [Member] \| Supplier One [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Contract termination period	2014-12
Chicken [Member] \| Supplier Two [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Contract termination period	2015-01

Net Income Per Share - Schedule of Earning Per Share (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013
Numerator:
Net income	$ 25,849	$ 918	$ 37,888	$ 1,268
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic	34,221,829	28,712,622	30,549,979	28,712,622
Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted	37,171,670	29,564,795	33,499,820	29,564,795
Net income per share-basic	$ 0.76	$ 0.03	$ 1.24	$ 0.04
Net income per share-diluted	$ 0.70	$ 0.03	$ 1.13	$ 0.04
Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		218,356		218,356

- Definition

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

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- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

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- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References+ Details

Net Income Per Share - Schedule of Reconciliation of Basic and Diluted Share Counts (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic	34,221,829	28,712,622	30,549,979	28,712,622
Dilutive effect of stock options	2,949,841	852,173	2,949,841	852,173
Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted	37,171,670	29,564,795	33,499,820	29,564,795

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013
Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Date of agreement			Nov. 18, 2005
Annual fees			$ 500,000
General and administrative expenses paid	$ 51,000	$ 142,000	$ 343,000	$ 465,000