Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information	Apr. 01, 2015	May 13, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Apr. 01, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	LOCO
Entity Registrant Name	El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	0001606366
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-30
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		37,438,686

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 8,587	$ 11,499
Restricted cash	125	125
Accounts and other receivables, net	6,031	5,759
Inventories	1,708	1,900
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,090	5,108
Income tax receivable	102	102
Deferred tax assets	19,360	19,490
Total current assets	40,003	43,983
Property and equipment owned, net	83,015	82,090
Property held under capital leases, net	118	128
Notes receivables, net of current portion	238	255
Goodwill	248,674	248,674
Domestic trademarks	61,888	61,888
Other intangible assets, net	742	778
Deferred tax assets	10,982	15,566
Other assets	1,803	1,944
Total assets	447,463	455,306
Current liabilities:
Current portion of obligations under capital leases	203	208
Accounts payable	5,038	5,528
Accrued salaries and vacation	7,838	7,970
Accrued insurance	3,982	3,818
Accrued interest	808	208
Accrued advertising		832
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities	13,054	13,013
Total current liabilities	30,923	31,577
Noncurrent liabilities:
Revolver loan	150,000	165,000
Obligations under capital leases, net of current portion	592	638
Other intangible liabilities, net	1,455	1,544
Other noncurrent liabilities	46,833	46,147
Total liabilities	229,803	244,906
Commitments, contingencies and subsequent events
Stockholder's Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; none outstanding
Common stock, $0.01 par value-200,000,000 shares authorized; 37,438,686 and 37,420,450 shares issued and outstanding	374	374
Additional paid-in-capital	359,934	359,465
Accumulated deficit	(142,648)	(149,439)
Total stockholder's equity	217,660	210,400
Total liabilities and stockholder's equity	$ 447,463	$ 455,306

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Apr. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
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	37,438,686	37,420,450
Common stock, shares outstanding	37,438,686	37,420,450

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue	$ 84,733	$ 76,213
Franchise revenue	5,693	5,214
Total revenue	90,426	81,427
Cost of operations
Food and paper cost	27,123	24,023
Labor and related expenses	21,582	19,313
Occupancy and other operating expenses	17,136	16,044
Company restaurant expenses	65,841	59,380
General and administrative expenses	7,485	6,630
Franchise expenses	855	983
Depreciation and amortization	3,146	2,595
Loss on disposal of assets	81	276
Asset impairment and close-store reserves	51	53
Total expenses	77,459	69,917
Income from operations	12,967	11,510
Interest expense, net	1,211	5,623
Income tax receivable agreement expense	251
Income before provision for income taxes	11,505	5,887
Provision for income taxes	4,714	417
Net income	$ 6,791	$ 5,470
Net income per share
Basic	$ 0.18	$ 0.19
Diluted	$ 0.17	$ 0.18
Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share
Basic	37,424,745	28,712,622
Diluted	38,921,884	30,157,316

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 6,791	$ 5,470
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	3,146	2,595
Stock-based compensation expense	297	169
Interest accretion		93
Income tax receivable agreement expense	251
Loss on disposal of assets	81	276
Impairment of property and equipment	7	10
Close-store reserve	44	43
Amortization of deferred financing costs	76	389
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable leases, net	(53)	(55)
Deferred income taxes, net	4,715	237
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and other receivables, net	(272)	444
Inventories	192	82
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,018	(4)
Income taxes payable		181
Other assets	83	31
Accounts payable	(2,260)	(323)
Accrued salaries and vacation	(166)	(2,877)
Accrued insurance	164	192
Other accrued expenses and liabilities	199	644
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	14,313	7,582
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(2,379)	(3,661)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(2,379)	(3,661)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on senior secured loan		(475)
Payments on revolver	(15,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of expenses	206
Payment of obligations under capital leases	(52)	(64)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(14,846)	(539)
(Decrease) Increase in cash and cash equivalents	(2,912)	3,382
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	11,499	17,015
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	8,587	20,397
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash paid during the period for interest	510	5,003
Cash paid during the period for income taxes, net	0	0
Unpaid purchases of property and equipment	1,770	1,229
Cashless stock option exercise	$ (34)

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015
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 operating segment. At April 1, 2015, we operated 173 and franchised 243 El Pollo Loco restaurants. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments consisting of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of its financial position and results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the full year. The financial statements and related notes do not include all information and footnotes required by GAAP for annual reports. This quarterly report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The Company uses 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 2014, which was a 53-week year, ended on December 31, 2014. Fiscal 2015, which is a 52-week year, will end on December 30, 2015. 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 April 22, 2014, Chicken Acquisition Corp. (“CAC”), which was a predecessor of Holdings, as well as its wholly owned subsidiary, Chicken Subsidiary Corp (“CSC”) and CSC’s wholly owned subsidiary, the former El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Old Holdings”) entered into the following reorganization transactions: (i) Old Holdings merged with and into CSC with CSC continuing as the surviving corporation; (ii) CSC merged with and into CAC with CAC continuing as the surviving corporation and (iii) CAC renamed itself El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. Holdings has no material assets or operations. Holdings and Holdings’ direct subsidiary, EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“Intermediate”), guarantee EPL’s 2014 Revolver (see Note 4) on a full and unconditional basis and Intermediate has no subsidiaries other than EPL. EPL is a separate and distinct legal entity, and has no obligation to make funds available to Intermediate. EPL and Intermediate may pay dividends to Intermediate and to Holdings, respectively. Under the 2014 Revolver, Holdings may not make certain payments such as cash dividends, except that it may, inter alia, (i) pay up to $1 million per year to repurchase or redeem qualified equity interests of Holdings held by past or present officers, directors, or employees (or their estates) of the Company upon death, disability, or termination of employment, (ii) pay under its income tax receivable agreement (the “TRA”), and, (iii) so long as no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, (a) make non-cash repurchases of equity interests in connection with the exercise of stock options by directors and officers, provided that those equity interests represent a portion of the consideration of the exercise price of those stock options, (b) pay up to $2.5 million per year pursuant to stock option plans, employment agreements, or incentive plans, (c) make up to $5 million in other restricted payments per year, and (d) make other restricted payments, provided that such payments would not cause, in each case, on a pro forma basis, (x) its lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio to equal or exceed 4.25 times and (y) its consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio to be less than 1.75 times. 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. Principles of Consolidation 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 condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and revenue and expenses during the period reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. The Company’s significant estimates include estimates for impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment, insurance reserves, lease termination liabilities, stock-based compensation, income tax receivable agreement liability, and income tax valuation allowances. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly-liquid instruments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Restricted Cash The Company’s restricted cash represents cash collateral to one commercial bank for Company credit cards. 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 working capital, net income, earnings per share, stockholder’s equity, or cash flows. Liquidity The Company’s principal liquidity requirements are to service our debt and to meet capital expenditure needs. At April 1, 2015, the Company’s total debt (including capital lease liabilities) was $150.8 million. The Company’s ability to make payments on its indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures depends on available cash and on its 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 the Company’s control. Based on current operations, the Company believes that its cash flow from operations, available cash of $8.6 million at April 1, 2015, and available borrowings under the 2014 Revolver (which availability was approximately $43.0 million at April 1, 2015) will be adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs for the next 12 months. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. To simplify presentation of debt issuance costs, the standard requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs would not be affected by the amendments in this Update. ASU 2015-03 applies to all entities and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The standard is to be applied retrospectively. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements. Subsequent Events The Company evaluated subsequent events that have occurred after April 1, 2015, and determined that there were no other events or transactions occurring during this reporting period that require recognition or disclosure in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Concentration of Risk Cash and cash equivalents are maintained at financial institutions and, at times, balances may exceed federally-insured limits. The Company has never experienced any losses related to these balances. The Company had two suppliers for which amounts due at April 1, 2015 totaled 7% and 6% of the Company’s accounts payable. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had two different suppliers for which amounts totaled 6% and 5% of the Company’s accounts payable. Purchases from the Company’s two largest suppliers totaled 36% and 4% at April 1, 2015 and 36% and 3% at March 26, 2014 of the Company’s purchases. Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 68% and 70% of total revenue for the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, and March 26, 2014, respectively. There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. For information regarding concentration of risk, see Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets The Company’s 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. The Company does not amortize its goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets. Goodwill resulted from the acquisition of certain franchise locations. Upon the sale of a restaurant, we decrement goodwill. The amount of goodwill included in the cost basis of the asset sold is determined based on the relative fair value of the portion of the reporting unit disposed compared to the fair value of the reporting unit retained. The Company performs annual impairment tests for goodwill during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment utilizing either a qualitative assessment or a two-step process. If the Company decides 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 the Company performs 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. The Company performs 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. The assumptions used in the estimate of fair value are generally consistent with the past performance of the Company’s reporting unit and are also consistent with the projections and assumptions that are used in current operating plans. These assumptions are subject to change as a result of changing economic and competitive conditions. The Company did not identify any indicators of potential impairment during the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, and therefore did not perform any impairment review, nor did the Company record any impairment. Income Taxes The provision for income taxes, income taxes payable and deferred income taxes is 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, the Company assesses the probability that our net deferred tax assets, if any, will be recovered. If, after evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, a conclusion is made that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be recovered, a valuation allowance is provided by charging to tax expense to reserve the portion of deferred tax assets which are not expect to be realized. The Company reviews its filing positions for all open tax years in all U.S. federal and state jurisdictions where the Company is required to file. When there are uncertainties related to potential income tax benefits, in order to qualify for recognition, the position the Company takes 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, the Company may not recognize any of the potential tax benefit associated with the position. The Company recognizes 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 management’s 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. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company had no accrual for interest or penalties at April 1, 2015, or at December 31, 2014, and did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, or March 26, 2014, since there were no material unrecognized tax benefits. Management believes no material changes to the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will occur within the next twelve months. On July 30, 2014, the Company entered into Income Tax Receivable Agreement (the TRA). The TRA calls for the Company to pay to its pre-IPO stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that the Company realizes in its taxes as a result of utilizing its net operating losses and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods.

Property and Equipment

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment

2. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

The costs and related accumulated depreciation and amortization of major classes of property are as follows (in thousands):


	April 1, 2015			December 31, 2014
Land	$	12,323		$	12,323
Buildings and improvements		94,826			92,834
Other property and equipment		50,548			49,890
Construction in progress		2,783			2,353

		160,480			157,400
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(77,465	)		(75,310	)

	$	83,015		$	82,090

Depreciation expense was $3.1 million and $2.6 million for the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, and March 26, 2014, respectively. The gross value of assets under capital leases for buildings and improvements was $1,596,400 and $1,800,800 at April 1, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Accumulated depreciation for assets under capital leases was $1,478,000 and $1,673,000 for the periods ended April 1, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. For the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, capital expenditures related primarily to restaurant remodeling and new restaurant expenditures, which totaled $1.2 million and $0.6 million, respectively. For the thirteen weeks ended March 24, 2014, capital expenditures related primarily to restaurant remodeling and new restaurant expenditures, which totaled $2.0 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

- 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	3 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation	Apr. 01, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION At April 1, 2015, options to purchase 3,050,456 shares of common stock were outstanding, including 2,048,007 vested and 1,002,449 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 April 1, 2015, 1,924,891 premium options remained outstanding. For the thirteen ended April 1, 2015, there were exercises of stock options for 19,720 shares. At April 1, 2015 there were 6,666 restricted shares outstanding. Restricted shares vest over time. At April 1, 2015, we had total unrecognized compensation expense of $1.4 million, related to unvested stock options and restricted shares, which we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 2.5 years. Total stock-based compensation expense was $296,600 for the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, and was $168,900 for the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014.

- 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	3 Months Ended
Credit Agreements	Apr. 01, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Credit Agreements	4. CREDIT AGREEMENTS On December 11, 2014, the Company refinanced its debt, with EPL, Intermediate, and Holdings entering into a credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swingline lender, and letter of credit issuer, the lenders party thereto, and the other parties thereto, which provides for a $200 million five-year senior secured revolving facility (the “2014 Revolver”). The 2014 Revolver includes a sub limit of $15 million for letters of credit and a sub limit of $15 million for swingline loans. At April 1, 2015, $7.0 million of letters of credit were outstanding and $43.0 million was available to borrow under the revolving line of credit. The 2014 Revolver will mature on or about December 11, 2019. Borrowings under the 2014 Revolver (other than any swingline loans) bear interest, at the borrower’s option, at rates based upon either LIBOR or a base rate, plus, for each rate, a margin determined in accordance with a lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio-based pricing grid. The base rate is calculated as the highest of (a) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (b) the prime rate of Bank of America, or (c) LIBOR plus 1.00%. For LIBOR loans, the margin is in the range of 1.75% to 2.50%, and for base rate loans the margin is in the range of 0.75% to 1.50%. The margin is initially set at 2.00% for LIBOR loans and at 1.00% for base rate loans until the delivery of financial statements and a compliance certificate for the first quarter of 2015. The interest rate range was 2.17% to 2.62% for the period ended April 1, 2015. The 2014 Revolver includes a number of negative and financial covenants, including, among others, the following (all subject to certain exceptions): a maximum lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio covenant, a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, and limitations on indebtedness, liens, investments, asset sales, mergers, consolidations, liquidations, dissolutions, restricted payments, and negative pledges. The 2014 Revolver also includes certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default. The Company was in compliance with all such covenants at April 1, 2015. See Note 1 for restrictions on the payment of dividends under the 2014 Revolver. Transaction Costs Transaction costs of $1.5 million were incurred in connection with the December 11, 2014 refinancing and were capitalized and are included in other assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets and the related amortization is reflected as a component of interest expense, net, in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. Maturities There are no required principal payments prior to maturity for the 2014 Revolver.

- 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

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

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):


	April, 1, 2015		December 31, 2014
Accrued sales and property taxes	$	4,098	$	3,918
Income tax receivable agreement payable		4,170		4,170
Gift card liability		1,366		1,535
Other		3,420		3,390

Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$	13,054	$	13,013

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

6. OTHER NONCURRENT LIABILITIES

Other noncurrent liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):


	April 1, 2015		December 31, 2014
Deferred rent	$	6,579	$	6,204
TRA payable		37,464		37,213
Other		2,790		2,730

Total other noncurrent liabilities	$	46,833	$	46,147

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Apr. 01, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Matters 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. The Company was served with the complaint on March 3, 2014. While the Company intends 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, the Company 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, this lawsuit could have a material adverse effect. The Company is also involved in various other claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these other actions will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources. A significant increase in the number of claims, or an increase in amounts owing under successful claims, could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Purchasing Commitments The Company has long-term beverage supply agreements with certain major beverage vendors. Pursuant to the terms of these arrangements, marketing rebates are provided to the Company and its franchisees from the beverage vendors based upon the dollar volume of purchases for system-wide restaurants which will vary according to their demand for beverage syrup and fluctuations in the market rates for beverage syrup. These contracts have terms extending into 2017 with an estimated Company obligation totaling $17.0 million. At April 1, 2015, the Company’s total estimated commitment to purchase chicken was $30.2 million. Contingent Lease Obligations As a result of assigning the Company’s interest in obligations under real estate leases in connection with the sale of Company-operated restaurants to some of the Company’s franchisees, the Company is contingently liable on four lease agreements. These leases have various terms, the latest of which expires in 2022. As of April 1, 2015, the potential amount of undiscounted payments the Company could be required to make in the event of non-payment by the primary lessee was $1,572,000. The present value of these potential payments discounted at the Company’s estimated pre-tax cost of debt at April 1, 2015 was $1,446,000. The Company’s franchisees are primarily liable on the leases. The Company has cross-default provisions with these franchisees that would put them in default of their franchise agreements in the event of non-payment under the leases. The Company believes that these cross-default provisions reduce the risk that payments will be required to be made under these leases. Accordingly, no liability has been recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements related to these contingent liabilities. Employment Agreements The Company has employment agreements with four of the officers of the Company on an at will basis. These agreements provide for minimum salary levels, possible annual adjustments for cost-of-living changes, and incentive bonuses that are payable under certain business conditions. Indemnification Agreements The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its current directors and executive officers. These agreements require the Company to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to the Company and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. The Company also intends to enter into indemnification agreements with future directors and executive officers.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies.

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Net Income Per Share

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

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 weeks ended April 1, 2015, and March 26, 2014. 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 basic and diluted net income per share data for the periods indicated, which are in thousands except for per share data.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended
	April 1, 2015		March 26, 2014
Numerator:
Net income	$	6,791	$	5,470

Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		37,424,745		28,712,622
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		38,921,884		30,157,316

Net income per share—basic	$	0.18	$	0.19
Net income per share—diluted	$	0.17	$	0.18

Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		5,865		218,369

Below is a reconciliation of basic and diluted share counts.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended
	April 1, 2015		March 26, 2014
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		37,424,745		28,712,622
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted shares		1,497,139		1,444,694

Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		38,921,884		30,157,316

- Definition

The entire disclosure for earnings per share.

+ References+ Details

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions	Apr. 01, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	9. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Trimaran Capital, L.L.C. (“Trimaran”) and Freeman Spogli & Co. (“Freeman Spogli”) indirectly beneficially own shares sufficient for majority control over all matters requiring stockholder votes, including: the election of directors; mergers, consolidations and acquisitions; the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets and other decisions affecting the Company’s capital structure; amendments to the Company’s certificate of incorporation or by-laws; and the Company’s winding up and dissolution. Furthermore, pursuant to the limited liability company operating agreement of Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. (“LLC”), the majority stockholder, investment funds managed by Trimaran and Freeman Spogli have the right to instruct LLC to appoint certain members of the board of directors of the Company, subject to certain conditions. Specifically, provided LLC owns a majority of the Company’s common stock, Freeman Spogli will be able to appoint one member of the board of directors for so long as it holds 5% of the outstanding membership interests of LLC, and Trimaran will be able to appoint the remaining members of the board of directors. On November 18, 2005, the Company entered into a Monitoring and Management Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Trimaran Fund Management, L.L.C. (“Fund Management”), an affiliate of the majority owner of the Company and of certain directors, which provided for annual fees of $500,000 and reasonable expenses. This Agreement was amended on December 26, 2007 to add an affiliate of Freeman Spogli, Freeman Spogli & Co. V, L.P., as a party sharing in the fees payable under the Agreement. During the thirteen weeks ended March 26, 2014, $158,000 was paid pursuant to this Agreement. This amount was included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Agreement terminated as of the Company’s initial public offering.

- 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)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments consisting of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of its financial position and results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the full year. The financial statements and related notes do not include all information and footnotes required by GAAP for annual reports. This quarterly report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The Company uses 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 2014, which was a 53-week year, ended on December 31, 2014. Fiscal 2015, which is a 52-week year, will end on December 30, 2015. 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 April 22, 2014, Chicken Acquisition Corp. (“CAC”), which was a predecessor of Holdings, as well as its wholly owned subsidiary, Chicken Subsidiary Corp (“CSC”) and CSC’s wholly owned subsidiary, the former El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Old Holdings”) entered into the following reorganization transactions: (i) Old Holdings merged with and into CSC with CSC continuing as the surviving corporation; (ii) CSC merged with and into CAC with CAC continuing as the surviving corporation and (iii) CAC renamed itself El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. Holdings has no material assets or operations. Holdings and Holdings’ direct subsidiary, EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“Intermediate”), guarantee EPL’s 2014 Revolver (see Note 4) on a full and unconditional basis and Intermediate has no subsidiaries other than EPL. EPL is a separate and distinct legal entity, and has no obligation to make funds available to Intermediate. EPL and Intermediate may pay dividends to Intermediate and to Holdings, respectively. Under the 2014 Revolver, Holdings may not make certain payments such as cash dividends, except that it may, inter alia, (i) pay up to $1 million per year to repurchase or redeem qualified equity interests of Holdings held by past or present officers, directors, or employees (or their estates) of the Company upon death, disability, or termination of employment, (ii) pay under its income tax receivable agreement (the “TRA”), and, (iii) so long as no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, (a) make non-cash repurchases of equity interests in connection with the exercise of stock options by directors and officers, provided that those equity interests represent a portion of the consideration of the exercise price of those stock options, (b) pay up to $2.5 million per year pursuant to stock option plans, employment agreements, or incentive plans, (c) make up to $5 million in other restricted payments per year, and (d) make other restricted payments, provided that such payments would not cause, in each case, on a pro forma basis, (x) its lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio to equal or exceed 4.25 times and (y) its consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio to be less than 1.75 times. 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.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation 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 condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and revenue and expenses during the period reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. The Company’s significant estimates include estimates for impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment, insurance reserves, lease termination liabilities, stock-based compensation, income tax receivable agreement liability, and income tax valuation allowances.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly-liquid instruments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.
Restricted Cash	Restricted Cash The Company’s restricted cash represents cash collateral to one commercial bank for Company credit cards.
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 working capital, net income, earnings per share, stockholder’s equity, or cash flows.
Liquidity	Liquidity The Company’s principal liquidity requirements are to service our debt and to meet capital expenditure needs. At April 1, 2015, the Company’s total debt (including capital lease liabilities) was $150.8 million. The Company’s ability to make payments on its indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures depends on available cash and on its 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 the Company’s control. Based on current operations, the Company believes that its cash flow from operations, available cash of $8.6 million at April 1, 2015, and available borrowings under the 2014 Revolver (which availability was approximately $43.0 million at April 1, 2015) will be adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs for the next 12 months.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. To simplify presentation of debt issuance costs, the standard requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs would not be affected by the amendments in this Update. ASU 2015-03 applies to all entities and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The standard is to be applied retrospectively. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events The Company evaluated subsequent events that have occurred after April 1, 2015, and determined that there were no other events or transactions occurring during this reporting period that require recognition or disclosure in the condensed consolidated financial statements.
Concentration of Risk	Concentration of Risk Cash and cash equivalents are maintained at financial institutions and, at times, balances may exceed federally-insured limits. The Company has never experienced any losses related to these balances. The Company had two suppliers for which amounts due at April 1, 2015 totaled 7% and 6% of the Company’s accounts payable. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had two different suppliers for which amounts totaled 6% and 5% of the Company’s accounts payable. Purchases from the Company’s two largest suppliers totaled 36% and 4% at April 1, 2015 and 36% and 3% at March 26, 2014 of the Company’s purchases. Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 68% and 70% of total revenue for the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, and March 26, 2014, respectively. There have been no material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. For information regarding concentration of risk, see Item 1A “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets The Company’s 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. The Company does not amortize its goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets. Goodwill resulted from the acquisition of certain franchise locations. Upon the sale of a restaurant, we decrement goodwill. The amount of goodwill included in the cost basis of the asset sold is determined based on the relative fair value of the portion of the reporting unit disposed compared to the fair value of the reporting unit retained. The Company performs annual impairment tests for goodwill during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment utilizing either a qualitative assessment or a two-step process. If the Company decides 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 the Company performs 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. The Company performs 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. The assumptions used in the estimate of fair value are generally consistent with the past performance of the Company’s reporting unit and are also consistent with the projections and assumptions that are used in current operating plans. These assumptions are subject to change as a result of changing economic and competitive conditions. The Company did not identify any indicators of potential impairment during the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, and therefore did not perform any impairment review, nor did the Company record any impairment.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The provision for income taxes, income taxes payable and deferred income taxes is 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, the Company assesses the probability that our net deferred tax assets, if any, will be recovered. If, after evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, a conclusion is made that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be recovered, a valuation allowance is provided by charging to tax expense to reserve the portion of deferred tax assets which are not expect to be realized. The Company reviews its filing positions for all open tax years in all U.S. federal and state jurisdictions where the Company is required to file. When there are uncertainties related to potential income tax benefits, in order to qualify for recognition, the position the Company takes 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, the Company may not recognize any of the potential tax benefit associated with the position. The Company recognizes 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 management’s 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. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company had no accrual for interest or penalties at April 1, 2015, or at December 31, 2014, and did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen weeks ended April 1, 2015, or March 26, 2014, since there were no material unrecognized tax benefits. Management believes no material changes to the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will occur within the next twelve months. On July 30, 2014, the Company entered into Income Tax Receivable Agreement (the TRA). The TRA calls for the Company to pay to its pre-IPO stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that the Company realizes in its taxes as a result of utilizing its net operating losses and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods.

Property and Equipment (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

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

The costs and related accumulated depreciation and amortization of major classes of property are as follows (in thousands):


	April 1, 2015			December 31, 2014
Land	$	12,323		$	12,323
Buildings and improvements		94,826			92,834
Other property and equipment		50,548			49,890
Construction in progress		2,783			2,353

		160,480			157,400
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(77,465	)		(75,310	)

	$	83,015		$	82,090

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities

Other accrued expenses and current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):


	April, 1, 2015		December 31, 2014
Accrued sales and property taxes	$	4,098	$	3,918
Income tax receivable agreement payable		4,170		4,170
Gift card liability		1,366		1,535
Other		3,420		3,390

Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$	13,054	$	13,013

Other Noncurrent Liabilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of Other Noncurrent Liabilities

Other noncurrent liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):


	April 1, 2015		December 31, 2014
Deferred rent	$	6,579	$	6,204
TRA payable		37,464		37,213
Other		2,790		2,730

Total other noncurrent liabilities	$	46,833	$	46,147

Net Income Per Share (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Apr. 01, 2015

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income per Share

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


	Thirteen Weeks Ended
	April 1, 2015		March 26, 2014
Numerator:
Net income	$	6,791	$	5,470

Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		37,424,745		28,712,622
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		38,921,884		30,157,316

Net income per share—basic	$	0.18	$	0.19
Net income per share—diluted	$	0.17	$	0.18

Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		5,865		218,369

Schedule of Reconciliation of Basic and Diluted Share Counts

Below is a reconciliation of basic and diluted share counts.


	Thirteen Weeks Ended
	April 1, 2015		March 26, 2014
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		37,424,745		28,712,622
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted shares		1,497,139		1,444,694

Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		38,921,884		30,157,316

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended								3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended						0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2014	Jul. 14, 2014	Apr. 01, 2015 Segment	Mar. 26, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Jul. 24, 2014	Jul. 14, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013	Jul. 30, 2014 Senior Secured Term Loan [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Mar. 26, 2014 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Dec. 31, 2014 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Apr. 01, 2015 Supplier One [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 Supplier Two [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Supplier Three [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Supplier Four [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 Largest Supplier One [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Mar. 26, 2014 Largest Supplier One [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 Largest Supplier Two [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Mar. 26, 2014 Largest Supplier Two [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 The Greater Los Angeles Area [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Mar. 26, 2014 The Greater Los Angeles Area [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 IPO [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 IPO [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 Underwriters [Member]	Apr. 01, 2015 Entity Operated Units [Member] Restaurants	Apr. 01, 2015 Franchised Units [Member] Restaurants
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants																												173	243
Number of operating segments			1
Date of reorganization			Apr. 22, 2014
Reorganization terms			("Old Holdings") entered into the following reorganization transactions (i) Old Holdings merged with and into CSC with CSC continuing as the surviving corporation; (ii) CSC merged with and into CAC with CAC continuing as the surviving corporation and (iii) CAC renamed itself El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
Restricted dividend payments, description			Under the 2014 Revolver, Holdings may not make certain payments such as cash dividends, except that it may, inter alia, (i) pay up to $1 million per year to repurchase or redeem qualified equity interests of Holdings held by past or present officers, directors, or employees (or their estates) of the Company upon death, disability, or termination of employment, (ii) pay under its income tax receivable agreement (the “TRA”), and, (iii) so long as no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, (a) make non-cash repurchases of equity interests in connection with the exercise of stock options by directors and officers, provided that those equity interests represent a portion of the consideration of the exercise price of those stock options, (b) pay up to $2.5 million per year pursuant to stock option plans, employment agreements, or incentive plans, (c) make up to $5 million in other restricted payments per year, and (d) make other restricted payments, provided that such payments would not cause, in each case, on a pro forma basis, (x) its lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio to equal or exceed 4.25 times and (y) its consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio to be less than 1.75 times.
Common stock, authorized			200,000,000		200,000,000	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, par value			$ 0.01		$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Stock split ratio		8.563811
Preferred stock, authorized			100,000,000		100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, par value			$ 0.01		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Shares issued in in initial public offering																									8,214,286		1,071,429
Shares issued, price per share																										$ 15.00
Net proceeds from initial public offering																									$ 112,300,000
Repayment of debt									100,000,000
Increase in authorized shares						300,000,000
Stock split note		8.56381 for 1
Total amount of outstanding debt			150,800,000
Cash available			8,587,000	20,397,000	11,499,000			17,015,000
Amount of borrowings available										43,000,000
Number of suppliers												2		2
Number of largest suppliers												2	2
Percentage of concentration															7.00%	6.00%	6.00%	5.00%	36.00%	36.00%	4.00%	3.00%	68.00%	70.00%
Impairment charge											0
Unrecognized tax benefits, accrual of interest or penalties			0		0
Unrecognized tax benefits, interest or penalties expenses			$ 0	$ 0
Percentage of cash savings in taxes realized as a result of utilizing net operating losses payable to pre-IPO stockholders	85.00%

Property and Equipment - Schedule of Costs and Related Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization of Major Classes of Property (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 160,480	$ 157,400
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(77,465)	(75,310)
Property and equipment, net	83,015	82,090
Land [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	12,323	12,323
Buildings and Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	94,826	92,834
Other Property and Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	50,548	49,890
Construction in Progress [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 2,783	$ 2,353

Property and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation expense	$ 3,100,000	$ 2,600,000
Gross value of assets under capital leases for buildings and improvements	1,596,400		1,800,800
Accumulated depreciation of assets under capital leases	1,478,000		1,673,000
Capital expenditures for restaurant remodeling	1,200,000	2,000,000
Capital expenditures for new restaurants	$ 600,000	$ 800,000

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	3,050,456
Common stock, options vested	2,048,007
Common stock, options unvested	1,002,449
Stock options exercised	19,720
Unrecognized compensation expense	$ 1,400,000
Unrecognized compensation expense, recognition period	2 years 6 months
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 297,000	$ 169,000
Premium Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	1,924,891
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	6,666

- Definition

Number of share options (or share units) exercised during the current period.

+ References+ Details

Credit Agreements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 11, 2014	Apr. 01, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility maturity period		Dec. 11, 2019
Debt instrument basis percentage		1.00%
Interest rate description		(a) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (b) the prime rate of Bank of America, or (c) LIBOR plus 1.00%. For LIBOR loans, the margin is in the range of 1.75% to 2.50%, and for base rate loans the margin is in the range of 0.75% and 1.50%. The margin is initially set at 2.00% for LIBOR loans and at 1.00% for base rate loans until the delivery of financial statements and a compliance certificate for the period ended April 1, 2015. The interest rate range was 2.17% to 2.62% at April 1, 2015.
Transaction costs	$ 1,500,000
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate		2.17%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate		2.62%
Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal payments prior to maturity		0
Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		0.50%
LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		1.00%
LIBOR [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		1.75%
LIBOR [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		2.50%
Base Rate [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		0.75%
Base Rate [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		1.50%
Initial Margin Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument basis percentage		2.00%
2014 Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured revolving facility	200,000,000
Letters of credit outstanding		7,000,000
Amount of borrowings available		43,000,000
2014 Credit Agreement [Member] \| Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sub limit of revolving facility	15,000,000
2014 Credit Agreement [Member] \| Swing Line Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Sub limit of revolving facility	$ 15,000,000

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities - Schedule of Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued sales and property taxes	$ 4,098	$ 3,918
Income tax receivable agreement payable	4,170	4,170
Gift card liability	1,366	1,535
Other	3,420	3,390
Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$ 13,054	$ 13,013

- 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).

+ References+ Details

- 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.

+ References+ Details

Other Noncurrent Liabilities - Schedule of Other Noncurrent Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Deferred rent	$ 6,579	$ 6,204
TRA payable	37,464	37,213
Other	2,790	2,730
Total other noncurrent liabilities	$ 46,833	$ 46,147

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Date of class action filed in court	On or about 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	4
Latest lease expiration year	2022
Contingent lease obligations, maximum exposure	$ 1,572,000
Contingent lease obligations, maximum exposure, if discounted at estimated pre-tax cost of debt	1,446,000
Beverage [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments, estimated obligations	17,000,000
Chicken Acquisition Corp [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments, estimated obligations	$ 30,200,000

Net Income Per Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income per Share (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014
Numerator:
Net income	$ 6,791	$ 5,470
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic	37,424,745	28,712,622
Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted	38,921,884	30,157,316
Net income per share-basic	$ 0.18	$ 0.19
Net income per share-diluted	$ 0.17	$ 0.18
Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation	5,865	218,369

- 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.

+ References+ Details

- 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.

+ References+ Details

- 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
	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic	37,424,745	28,712,622
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted shares	1,497,139	1,444,694
Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted	38,921,884	30,157,316

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Nov. 18, 2005	Apr. 01, 2015	Mar. 26, 2014
Trimaran Fund Management, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding membership interest, percentage		5.00%
Date of agreement		Nov. 18, 2005
Annual fees	$ 500,000
General and administrative expenses paid			$ 158,000