El Pollo Loco is headed to northern Colorado

After making its reentry into Colorado last year, fast-food chain El Pollo Loco is ready to expand its operation into several northern counties by the end of next year.

The California-based fire-grilled chicken restaurant announced May 4 it signed development agreements to expand in Northern Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, according to a news release. The new Colorado locations will be the first of the new expansion and are expected by the end of 2024 in Larimer County and portions of Boulder, Broomfield and Weld counties.

Mass Equities, through holding company MEQ EPL, LLC, signed the agreements to grow in the Colorado market. Mass Equities is the developer and investment firm responsible for Longmont’s South Main Station development south of downtown Longmont.

“El Pollo Loco’s corporate team has made it an easy decision to grow our franchise operations with them,” Mass Equities Founder and CEO Drew Sobel said in a statement. “The brand’s growth over the past few years is evident and its unique offering supported by excellence in operations is a strategic fit for our portfolio of businesses. Fueled by the brand’s initial success in the Colorado market, we look forward to bringing the El Pollo Loco experience to northern parts of the state.”

These new restaurants will be developed with the newest El Pollo Loco design offering options for dining rooms that open to a patio area and an enhanced digitized experience – including self-ordering kiosks, mobile to-go and delivery pick-up areas and digital menu boards.

El Pollo Loco first ventured into Colorado in Denver before closing its single restaurant during the Great Recession in 2007. It then opened the first of its new expansion into Colorado in November 2022 in Denver.

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