I had a good chat with El Pollo Loco chief executive Steve Carley when he stopped by NRN’s booth this morning. He’s psyched about the chain’s steak offerings that were launched at the beginning of the year and that now account for 25 percent of the Fresh Mex section of the chain’s menu. Earlier this month the company launched the first sandwiches that they put on their permanent menu (they’ve done LTOs in the past). They’re based on Mexican-style tortas, with thick, soft rolls, available with guacamole or jalapeños and Pepper Jack cheese.
Carley said the guac sandwich is selling better, accounting for about 60 percent of sandwich sales, compared to the spicy sandwich’s 40 percent.
Both the sandwiches and the steak cost more than your average Pollo Loco item, and that’s the chain’s focus now, Carley said. Traffic’s down and is going to stay down until people start getting jobs again — although at least traffic has stabilized. And check averages are actually up thanks to the new menu items.
-- Bret Thorn at bthorn@nrn.com.
