Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information	Sep. 30, 2015	Nov. 11, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
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	--12-30
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		38,284,435

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 8,207	$ 11,499
Restricted cash	125	125
Accounts and other receivables, net	6,051	5,759
Inventories	1,752	1,900
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,830	5,108
Income tax receivable	132	102
Deferred tax assets	18,975	19,490
Total current assets	39,072	43,983
Property and equipment owned, net	93,011	82,090
Property held under capital leases, net	99	128
Notes receivables, net of current portion	202	255
Goodwill	248,674	248,674
Domestic trademarks	61,888	61,888
Other intangible assets, net	673	778
Deferred tax assets	5,500	15,566
Other assets	1,666	1,944
Total assets	450,785	455,306
Current liabilities:
Current portion of obligations under capital leases	185	208
Accounts payable	10,595	5,528
Accrued salaries and vacation	7,891	7,970
Accrued insurance	4,851	3,818
Accrued interest	190	208
Accrued advertising		832
Other accrued expenses and current liabilities	16,166	13,013
Total current liabilities	39,878	31,577
Noncurrent liabilities:
Revolver loan	125,000	165,000
Obligations under capital leases, net of current portion	506	638
Other intangible liabilities, net	1,311	1,544
Other noncurrent liabilities	44,474	46,147
Total liabilities	211,169	244,906
Commitments, contingencies and subsequent events
Stockholders' Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding
Common stock, $0.01 par value—200,000,000 shares authorized; 38,284,435 and 37,420,450 shares issued and outstanding	383	374
Additional paid-in-capital	369,984	359,465
Accumulated deficit	(130,751)	(149,439)
Total stockholders' equity	239,616	210,400
Total liabilities and stockholder’s equity	$ 450,785	$ 455,306

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 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	38,284,435	37,420,450
Common stock, shares outstanding	38,284,435	37,420,450

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014
Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue	$ 82,986	$ 80,861	$ 251,295	$ 238,432
Franchise revenue	5,884	5,696	17,456	16,456
Total revenue	88,870	86,557	268,751	254,888
Cost of operations
Food and paper cost	26,371	25,881	80,549	75,834
Labor and related expenses	20,822	20,137	63,493	59,552
Occupancy and other operating expenses	18,207	18,102	52,732	51,091
Company restaurant expenses	65,400	64,120	196,774	186,477
General and administrative expenses	6,316	7,509	20,206	20,974
Franchise expenses	925	901	2,620	2,827
Depreciation and amortization	3,278	2,924	9,624	8,271
Loss on disposal of assets	261	118	427	609
Asset impairment and closed-store reserves	163	22	24	415
Total expenses	76,343	75,594	229,675	219,573
Gain on sale of restaurants		2,658		2,658
Income from operations	12,527	13,621	39,076	37,973
Interest expense, net	810	3,960	3,035	15,286
Early extinguishment of debt		5,082		5,082
Expenses related to selling shareholders			50
Income tax receivable agreement expense	546	40,119	1,022	40,119
Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for income taxes	11,171	(35,540)	34,969	(22,514)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	6,505	(61,389)	16,281	(60,402)
Net income	$ 4,666	$ 25,849	$ 18,688	$ 37,888
Net income per share
Basic	$ 0.12	$ 0.76	$ 0.49	$ 1.24
Diluted	$ 0.12	$ 0.70	$ 0.48	$ 1.17
Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share
Basic	38,275,317	34,221,829	37,837,610	30,549,979
Diluted	39,107,241	36,821,095	39,044,388	32,450,231

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 18,688,000	$ 37,888,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	9,624,000	8,271,000
Stock-based compensation expense	608,000	635,000
Interest accretion		250,000
Income tax receivable agreement expense	1,022,000	40,119,000
Gain on sale of restaurants		(2,658,000)
Loss on disposal of assets	427,000	568,000
Early extinguishment of debt		5,082,000
Impairment of property and equipment	136,000	62,000
Closed-store reserve	(112,000)	353,000
Amortization of deferred financing costs	229,000	1,173,000
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable leases, net	(128,000)	(168,000)
Excess income tax benefit related to share-based compensation plans	(5,700,000)
Deferred income taxes, net	10,581,000	(60,536,000)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and other receivables, net	(292,000)	186,000
Inventories	148,000	29,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,278,000	(1,215,000)
Income taxes receivable/payable	5,670,000	(27,000)
Other assets	102,000	491,000
Accounts payable	500,000	(457,000)
Accrued salaries and vacation	(113,000)	(1,202,000)
Accrued insurance	1,032,000	349,000
Other accrued expenses and liabilities	(279,000)	649,000
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	43,421,000	29,842,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of restaurants		5,435,000
Purchase of property and equipment	(16,512,000)	(19,414,000)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(16,512,000)	(13,979,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on senior secured loan		(101,425,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of expenses		112,300,000
Payments of call premium on notes		(1,512,000)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	4,254,000
Payments on revolver loan	(40,000,000)
Payments on obligations under capital leases	(155,000)	(201,000)
Amendment fee		(215,000)
Excess income tax benefit related to share-based compensation plans	5,700,000
Net cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities	(30,201,000)	8,947,000
(Decrease) Increase in cash and cash equivalents	(3,292,000)	24,810,000
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	11,499,000	17,015,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	8,207,000	41,825,000
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash paid during the period for interest	2,781,000	15,705,000
Cash paid during the period for income taxes, net	30,000	161,000
Unpaid purchases of property and equipment	4,567,000	2,857,000
Cashless stock option exercise	$ (34,000)	$ (37,000)

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 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 September 30, 2015, we operated 175 and franchised 245 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 was 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, closed store reserves, 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, stockholders’ equity, or cash flows. Liquidity The Company’s principal liquidity requirements are to service our debt and to meet capital expenditure needs. At September 30, 2015, the Company’s total debt (including capital lease liabilities) was $125.7 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 $8.2 million at September 30, 2015, and available borrowings under the 2014 Revolver (which availability was approximately $68 million at September 30, 2015) will be adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs for the next 12 months. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-11, "Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory."-ASU No. 2015-11 requires inventory that is recorded using the first-in, first-out method to be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. ASU No. 2015-11 will be effective retrospectively for the Company for the quarter ending December 31, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. 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. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." ASU No. 2014-09 clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue when an entity either enters into a contract with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into a contract for the transfer of non-financial assets. The original standard was effective retrospectively for the Company for the quarter ending December 31, 2017; however in July 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the standard. The new standard will become effective retrospectively for the Company for the quarter ending December 31, 2018, with early adoption permitted, but not before the original effective date. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements. Subsequent Events Subsequent to September 30, 2015, the Company has completed four new store openings. Also subsequent to quarter end, the Company increased the letters of credit balance to $7.2M for changes in agreements with certain vendors. The Company evaluated subsequent events that have occurred after September 30, 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 September 30, 2015 totaled 19% and 9% 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. For the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2015 and September 24, 2014, purchases from the Company’s two largest suppliers totaled 37% and 2% and 36% and 3% of the Company’s purchases. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015 and September 24, 2014, purchases from the Company’s two largest suppliers totaled 37% and 3% and 36% and 3%, respectively, of the Company’s purchases. Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 78% and 80% of total revenue for both the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2015 and September 24, 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 historical acquisitions. 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 concludes 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 segment 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 and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 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 its 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 September 30, 2015, or at December 31, 2014, and did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen or thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, or September 24, 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 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

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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):

	September 30, 2015			December 31, 2014
Land	$	12,323		$	12,323
Buildings and improvements		99,150			92,834
Other property and equipment		53,342			49,890
Construction in progress		10,080			2,353
		174,895			157,400
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(81,884	)		(75,310	)
	$	93,011		$	82,090

Depreciation expense was $3.3 million and $2.9 million and $9.6 million and $8.3 million for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, and September 24, 2014, respectively. The gross value of assets under capital leases for buildings and improvements was $1,559,200 and $1,800,800 at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Accumulated depreciation for assets under capital leases was $1,461,000 and $1,673,000 as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. For the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2015, capital expenditures totaled $10.8 million, including $1.7 million for restaurant remodeling and $6.9 million for new restaurant expenditures. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, capital expenditures totaled $21.1 million, including $5.9 million for restaurant remodeling and $10.6 million for new restaurant expenditures.

- 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.

+ References+ Details

Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation	Sep. 30, 2015
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION At September 30, 2015, options to purchase 2,175,454 shares of common stock were outstanding, including 1,628,609 vested and 546,845 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 30, 2015, 1,739,367 premium options remained outstanding. For the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, there were exercises of stock options for 18,340 and 863,247 shares, respectively. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, there was one exercise of stock options for 739 shares. At September 30, 2015, there were 12,352 restricted shares outstanding. Restricted shares vest over time. At September 30, 2015, we had total unrecognized compensation expense of $1.1 million, related to unvested stock options and restricted shares, which we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years. Total stock-based compensation expense was $165,000 and $608,000 for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, respectively, and was $297,000 and $635,000 for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, respectively.

- 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.

+ References+ Details

Credit Agreements	9 Months Ended
Credit Agreements	Sep. 30, 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 September 30, 2015, $7.0 million of letters of credit were outstanding and $68.0 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 was 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 1.94% to 1.95% and 1.93% to 2.63% for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, respectively. 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 September 30, 2015. See Note 1 for restrictions on the payment of dividends under the 2014 Revolver. Early Extinguishment of Debt The proceeds from our IPO in July 2014 were primarily used to repay the 2013 Second Lien Term Loan. In conjunction with this repayment, 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 unamortized discount. 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. During the thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, the Company elected to pay down $40.0 million of outstanding borrowing on our 2014 Revolver, primarily from our cash flow from operations and available cash.

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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):

	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Accrued sales and property taxes	$	4,123	$	3,918
Income tax receivable agreement payable		7,609		4,170
Gift card liability		1,386		1,535
Other		3,048		3,390
Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$	16,166	$	13,013

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Payables And Accruals [Abstract]

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

6. OTHER NONCURRENT LIABILITIES

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

	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Deferred rent	$	6,865	$	6,204
Income tax receivable agreement payable		34,796		37,213
Other		2,813		2,730
Total other noncurrent liabilities	$	44,474	$	46,147

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Sep. 30, 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. While the Company is vigorously defending 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. Daniel Turocy, et al. v. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., et al. (Case No. 8:15-cv-01343) was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on August 24, 2015, and Ron Huston, et al. v. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., et al. (Case No. 8:15-cv-01710) was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on October 22, 2015. Plaintiff Daniel Turocy, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, and Plaintiff Ron Huston, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, each filed separate putative class action complaints, alleging violations of federal securities laws in connection with Holdings common stock purchased or otherwise acquired and, in the Ron Huston case, the purchase of call options or the sale of put options, between May 1, 2015 and August 13, 2015 (the “Class Period”). In both cases, the named defendants are Holdings; Stephen J. Sather, Laurance Roberts, and Edward J. Valle (collectively, the “Individual Defendants”); and Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C., Trimaran Capital Partners, and Freeman Spogli & Co. (collectively, the “Controlling Shareholder Defendants”). Among other things, Plaintiffs allege that, in 2014 and early 2015, Holdings suffered losses due to rising labor costs in California and, in an attempt to mitigate the effects of such rising costs, removed a $5 value option from our menu, which resulted in a decrease in value-conscious store traffic. Plaintiffs further allege that during the Class Period, Holdings and the Individual Defendants made a series of materially false and misleading statements that concealed the effect that these factors were having on store sales growth, resulting in Holdings’ stock continuing to be traded at artificially inflated prices. As a result, Plaintiffs and other members of the putative class allegedly suffered damages in connection with their purchase of Holdings’ stock during the Class Period. In addition, Plaintiffs allege that the Individual Defendants and Controlling Shareholder Defendants had direct involvement in, and responsibility over, the operations of Holdings, and are presumed to have had, among other things, the power to control or influence the transactions giving rise to the alleged securities law violations. In both cases, Plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of damages, as well as costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees). Defendants intend to vigorously defend against the claims asserted. In addition, on September 16, 2015, the Company and certain of its officers and directors received an informal, non-public inquiry from the SEC requesting voluntary production of documents and information. All parties are cooperating fully with the SEC's request. On or about November 5, 2015, a purported EPL shareholder filed a derivative complaint on behalf of the Company in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware against certain EPL officers, directors and Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. The derivative complaint alleges that these defendants breached their fiduciary duties to EPL and were unjustly enriched when they sold shares of EPL at artificially inflated prices due to alleged misrepresentations and omissions regarding EPL’s comparable store sales in the second quarter of 2015. The EPL shareholder’s requested remedies include an award of compensatory damages to EPL, as well as a court order to improve corporate governance by putting forward for stockholder vote certain resolutions for amendments to EPL’s Bylaws or Certificate of Incorporation. 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 $15.2 million as of September 30, 2015. At September 30, 2015, the Company’s total estimated commitment to purchase chicken was $12.6 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 September 30, 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 $1,431,000. The present value of these potential payments discounted at the Company’s estimated pre-tax cost of debt at September 30, 2015 was $1,308,000. 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 condensed 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.

+ References+ Details

Net Income Per Share

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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 and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, and September 24, 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				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014		September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014
Numerator:
Net income	$	4,666	$	25,849	$	18,688	$	37,888
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		38,275,317		34,221,829		37,837,610		30,549,979
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		39,107,241		36,821,095		39,044,388		32,450,231
Net income per share—basic	$	0.12	$	0.76	$	0.49	$	1.24
Net income per share—diluted	$	0.12	$	0.70	$	0.48	$	1.17
Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		-		-		-		-

Below is a reconciliation of basic and diluted share counts.

	Thirteen Weeks Ended				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014		September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		38,275,317		34,221,829		37,837,610		30,549,979
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted shares		831,924		2,599,266		1,206,778		1,900,252
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		39,107,241		36,821,095		39,044,388		32,450,231

- Definition

The entire disclosure for earnings per share.

+ References+ Details

Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions	Sep. 30, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	9. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. (“LLC”), owns approximately 43.7% of the Company’s outstanding common stock. This large position means that LLC and its majority owners—predecessors and affiliates of, and certain funds managed by, Trimaran Capital Partners and Freeman Spogli & Co. (collectively, “Trimaran” and “Freeman Spogli,” respectively)—possess significant influence when stockholders vote on matters such as election of directors, mergers, consolidations and acquisitions, the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, 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. So long as LLC maintains at least 40% ownership, (i) any member of the board of directors may be removed at any time without cause by affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s common stock, and (ii) stockholders representing 40% or greater ownership may cause special stockholder meetings to be called. 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 Trimaran 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 and thirty-nine weeks ended September 24, 2014, $50,500 and $342,900, respectively, 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 IPO.

- 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. 30, 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 was 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, closed store reserves, 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, stockholders’ equity, or cash flows.
Liquidity Policy Text Block	Liquidity The Company’s principal liquidity requirements are to service our debt and to meet capital expenditure needs. At September 30, 2015, the Company’s total debt (including capital lease liabilities) was $125.7 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 $8.2 million at September 30, 2015, and available borrowings under the 2014 Revolver (which availability was approximately $68 million at September 30, 2015) will be adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs for the next 12 months.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-11, "Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory."-ASU No. 2015-11 requires inventory that is recorded using the first-in, first-out method to be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. ASU No. 2015-11 will be effective retrospectively for the Company for the quarter ending December 31, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. 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. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." ASU No. 2014-09 clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue when an entity either enters into a contract with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into a contract for the transfer of non-financial assets. The original standard was effective retrospectively for the Company for the quarter ending December 31, 2017; however in July 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the standard. The new standard will become effective retrospectively for the Company for the quarter ending December 31, 2018, with early adoption permitted, but not before the original effective date. 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 Subsequent to September 30, 2015, the Company has completed four new store openings. Also subsequent to quarter end, the Company increased the letters of credit balance to $7.2M for changes in agreements with certain vendors. The Company evaluated subsequent events that have occurred after September 30, 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 September 30, 2015 totaled 19% and 9% 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. For the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2015 and September 24, 2014, purchases from the Company’s two largest suppliers totaled 37% and 2% and 36% and 3% of the Company’s purchases. For the thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015 and September 24, 2014, purchases from the Company’s two largest suppliers totaled 37% and 3% and 36% and 3%, respectively, of the Company’s purchases. Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 78% and 80% of total revenue for both the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2015 and September 24, 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 historical acquisitions. 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 concludes 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 segment 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 and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 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 its 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 September 30, 2015, or at December 31, 2014, and did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen or thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, or September 24, 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 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)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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):

	September 30, 2015			December 31, 2014
Land	$	12,323		$	12,323
Buildings and improvements		99,150			92,834
Other property and equipment		53,342			49,890
Construction in progress		10,080			2,353
		174,895			157,400
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(81,884	)		(75,310	)
	$	93,011		$	82,090

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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):

	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Accrued sales and property taxes	$	4,123	$	3,918
Income tax receivable agreement payable		7,609		4,170
Gift card liability		1,386		1,535
Other		3,048		3,390
Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$	16,166	$	13,013

Other Noncurrent Liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Payables And Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of Other Noncurrent Liabilities

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

	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Deferred rent	$	6,865	$	6,204
Income tax receivable agreement payable		34,796		37,213
Other		2,813		2,730
Total other noncurrent liabilities	$	44,474	$	46,147

Net Income Per Share (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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				Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended
	September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014		September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014
Numerator:
Net income	$	4,666	$	25,849	$	18,688	$	37,888
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		38,275,317		34,221,829		37,837,610		30,549,979
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		39,107,241		36,821,095		39,044,388		32,450,231
Net income per share—basic	$	0.12	$	0.76	$	0.49	$	1.24
Net income per share—diluted	$	0.12	$	0.70	$	0.48	$	1.17
Anti-dilutive securities not considered in diluted EPS calculation		-		-		-		-

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 30, 2015		September 24, 2014		September 30, 2015		September 24, 2014
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic		38,275,317		34,221,829		37,837,610		30,549,979
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted shares		831,924		2,599,266		1,206,778		1,900,252
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted		39,107,241		36,821,095		39,044,388		32,450,231

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2014	Jul. 14, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015 Segment	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Jul. 24, 2014	Dec. 25, 2013	Sep. 30, 2015 Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Sep. 24, 2014 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Sep. 30, 2015 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Sep. 24, 2014 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Dec. 31, 2014 Supplier Concentration Risk [Member] Supplier	Sep. 30, 2015 Supplier One [Member] Accounts Payable [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 30, 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]	Sep. 30, 2015 Largest Supplier One [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Largest Supplier One [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Largest Supplier One [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Largest Supplier One [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Largest Supplier Two [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Largest Supplier Two [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Largest Supplier Two [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 Largest Supplier Two [Member] Purchased [Member] Supplier Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 The Greater Los Angeles Area [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Sep. 24, 2014 The Greater Los Angeles Area [Member] Revenue [Member] Geographic Concentration Risk [Member]	Nov. 12, 2015 Subsequent Event [Member] Store	Sep. 30, 2015 2013 First Lien Credit Agreement [Member] Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 Senior Secured Term Loan [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 IPO [Member]	Jul. 30, 2014 Underwriters [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Entity Operated Units [Member] Restaurants	Sep. 30, 2015 Franchised Units [Member] Restaurants
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of operating segments					1
Number of restaurants																																				175	245
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	200,000,000
Common stock, par value		$ 0.01	$ 0.01		$ 0.01		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Stock split ratio		8.56381
Preferred stock, 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
Increase in authorized shares								300,000,000
Stock split note					8.56381 for 1
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
Total amount of outstanding debt			125,700,000		125,700,000
Cash available			8,207,000	41,825,000	8,207,000	41,825,000	11,499,000		17,015,000
Amount of borrowings available																																68,000,000
Number of new store openings completed																															4
Letters of credit balance																															7,200,000
Number of suppliers														2		2
Percentage of concentration																	19.00%	9.00%	6.00%	5.00%	37.00%	36.00%	37.00%	36.00%	2.00%	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%	78.00%	80.00%
Number of largest suppliers												2	2	2	2
Impairment charge										0	0
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%

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. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 174,895	$ 157,400
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(81,884)	(75,310)
Property and equipment, net	93,011	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	99,150	92,834
Other Property and Equipment [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	53,342	49,890
Construction in Progress [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 10,080	$ 2,353

Property and Equipment - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Property Plant And Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation expense	$ 3,300,000	$ 2,900,000	$ 9,600,000	$ 8,300,000
Gross value of assets under capital leases for buildings and improvements	1,559,200		1,559,200		1,800,800
Accumulated depreciation of assets under capital leases	1,461,000		1,461,000		1,673,000
Capital expenditures	10,800,000		21,100,000
Capital expenditures for restaurant remodeling	1,700,000		5,900,000
Capital expenditures for new restaurants	$ 6,900,000		$ 10,600,000

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	2,175,454		2,175,454
Common stock, options vested			1,628,609
Common stock, options unvested	546,845		546,845
Stock options exercised	18,340		863,247	739
Unrecognized compensation expense	$ 1,100,000		$ 1,100,000
Unrecognized compensation expense, recognition period			2 years 2 months 12 days
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 165,000	$ 297,000	$ 608,000	$ 635,000
Premium Options [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	1,739,367		1,739,367
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, options outstanding	12,352		12,352

- 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	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended										1 Months Ended
	Dec. 11, 2014	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015 Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Federal Funds Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Base Rate [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Base Rate [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 Initial Margin Rate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 LIBOR [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 LIBOR [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 LIBOR [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2015 2014 Credit Agreement [Member]	Dec. 11, 2014 2014 Credit Agreement [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 2013 Second Lien Credit Agreement [Member]	Dec. 11, 2014 Swing Line Loans [Member] 2014 Credit Agreement [Member]	Dec. 11, 2014 Letter of Credit [Member] 2014 Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior secured revolving facility																		$ 200,000,000
Sub limit of revolving facility																				15,000,000	15,000,000
Letters of credit outstanding																	7,000,000
Amount of borrowings available																	68,000,000
Revolving credit facility maturity period			Dec. 11, 2019
Debt instrument basis percentage			1.00%							0.50%	0.75%	1.50%	2.00%	1.00%	1.75%	2.50%
Debt instrument, interest rate						1.94%	1.93%	1.95%	2.63%
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% to 1.50%. The margin was 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 1.94% to 1.95% and 1.93% to 2.63% for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2015, respectively.
Early extinguishment of debt		5,082,000		5,082,000															5,100,000
Call premium				1,512,000															1,500,000
Write off of the remaining unamortized deferred finance costs																			2,700,000
Write off of the unamortized discount																			900,000
Transaction costs	1,500,000
Principal payments prior to maturity					0
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment					$ 40,000,000

Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities - Schedule of Other Accrued Expenses and Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued sales and property taxes	$ 4,123	$ 3,918
Income tax receivable agreement payable	7,609	4,170
Gift card liability	1,386	1,535
Other	3,048	3,390
Total other accrued expenses and current liabilities	$ 16,166	$ 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

Other Noncurrent Liabilities - Schedule of Other Noncurrent Liabilities (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Liabilities Noncurrent [Abstract]
Deferred rent	$ 6,865	$ 6,204
Income tax receivable agreement payable	34,796	37,213
Other	2,813	2,730
Total other noncurrent liabilities	$ 44,474	$ 46,147

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Date of class action filed in court	On or about February 24, 2014
Call option value reduced from menu	$ 5
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	1,431,000
Contingent lease obligations, maximum exposure, if discounted at estimated pre-tax cost of debt	1,308,000
Beverage [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments, estimated obligations	15,200,000
Chicken Acquisition Corp [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments, estimated obligations	$ 12,600,000

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		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014
Numerator:
Net income	$ 4,666	$ 25,849	$ 18,688	$ 37,888
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic	38,275,317	34,221,829	37,837,610	30,549,979
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted	39,107,241	36,821,095	39,044,388	32,450,231
Net income per share—basic	$ 0.12	$ 0.76	$ 0.49	$ 1.24
Net income per share—diluted	$ 0.12	$ 0.70	$ 0.48	$ 1.17

- 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		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Weighted-average shares outstanding—basic	38,275,317	34,221,829	37,837,610	30,549,979
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted shares	831,924	2,599,266	1,206,778	1,900,252
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted	39,107,241	36,821,095	39,044,388	32,450,231

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Nov. 18, 2005	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 24, 2014
Trimaran Pollo Partners, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Company's outstanding common stock owned by Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C.			43.70%
Ownership description			So long as LLC maintains at least 40% ownership, (i) any member of the board of directors may be removed at any time without cause by affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s common stock, and (ii) stockholders representing 40% or greater ownership may cause special stockholder meetings to be called.
Trimaran Pollo Partners, LLC [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding membership interest, percentage			40.00%
Ownership percentage by stockholders			40.00%
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		$ 50,500		$ 342,900