El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) Q4 2019 Earnings Conference Call March 5, 2020 4:30 PM ET Company Participants Laurance Roberts - Chief Financial Officer Bernard Acoca - President and Chief Executive Officer Conference Call Participants Jake Bartlett - SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Matthew DiFrisco - Guggenheim Securities David Tarantino - Robert W. Baird & Co. Sharon Zackfia - William Blair & Company Operator Greetings. Welcome to El Pollo Loco’s Fourth Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call. At thi ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share LOCO The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC FORM 10-Q (Mark one) ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 25, 2019 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from t ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q3 2019 was $112.1 million, slightly down from $112.2 million in Q3 2018 [18] - Company-operated restaurant revenue decreased to $99.1 million from $100 million year-over-year, impacted by the sale of 11 restaurants and closure of 5 [18] - GAAP net income was $6.4 million or $0.18 per diluted share, compared to $6.8 million or $0.17 per diluted share in the prior year [23] - Pro forma net income for the quarter was $7.2 million, down from $7.6 million in Q3 2018 [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Franchise revenue increased by 9.1% to $7.3 million, driven by a 0.6% increase in comparable restaurant sales and the transfer of company-operated restaurants to franchisees [19] - Company-operated comparable restaurant sales grew by 1.6%, with a 2.0% increase in average check offset by a 0.4% decrease in transactions [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - System-wide comparable restaurant sales growth was 1.1% for the quarter, with a notable 4.2% growth in September [5][18] - The company reported a system-wide sales figure of $227.95 million for the quarter [55] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on culinary innovation and has prioritized building a robust product pipeline for 2020 [9] - Expansion of delivery capabilities through partnerships with Postmates and Uber Eats, in addition to DoorDash, is a key strategy [6][10] - The company is simplifying operations to enhance employee and franchisee experiences, including a new inventory management system and streamlined operating procedures [11][12] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about continued sales momentum into Q4, driven by successful promotions and operational improvements [5][10] - The company anticipates commodity inflation of 1% to 2% and labor inflation of 6% to 6.5% in 2020 [20][25] - Management is committed to community support initiatives, including food donations to local shelters [14] Other Important Information - The company completed the sale of 5 company-operated restaurants in Dallas to an existing franchisee, which is expected to provide a margin benefit [25][43] - The company plans to open 2 to 3 new company-operated restaurants and 2 to 3 franchised restaurants in 2019 [17][25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Performance in September and October related to $5 bundle - Management attributed sales momentum to the $5 Fire-Grilled Combos promotion, expanded delivery capabilities, and operational improvements [30] Question: State of company-owned stores in Houston - Management confirmed commitment to Houston, with ongoing performance improvements, and indicated opportunistic franchisee transfers [32][33] Question: Delivery menu pricing strategy - Management explained a bifurcated delivery pricing strategy, retaining higher margins on direct orders while offering curated menus through third-party marketplaces [39] Question: Impact of Dallas restaurant sale on P&L - Management confirmed a margin benefit of approximately 50 basis points from the sale of the Dallas restaurants [45] Question: New market development plans - Management indicated plans to enter at least one new market in 2020, with ongoing work on restaurant design [36][46] Question: Customer feedback on delivery pricing - Management noted positive customer reception to delivery pricing, emphasizing convenience as a key factor [41] Question: Labor efficiency and cooking procedures - Management clarified that new cooking procedures aim to improve product quality and ease of execution without reducing labor [68]

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share LOCO The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC FORM 10-Q (Mark one) ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended June 26, 2019 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Com ...

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) Q2 2019 Earnings Conference Call August 1, 2019 4:30 PM ET Company Participants Larry Roberts - Chief Financial Officer Bernard Acoca - President & Chief Executive Officer Conference Call Participants Matthew DiFrisco - Guggenheim Jake Bartlett - SunTrust Andy Barish - Jefferies Sharon Zackfia - William Blair David Tarantino - Baird Operator Greetings. And welcome to El Pollo Loco Second Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a ...

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) Q1 2019 Results Earnings Conference Call May 2, 2019 4:30 PM ET Company Participants Larry Roberts - CFO Bernard Acoca - President and CEO Conference Call Participants Matthew DiFrisco - Guggenheim David Tarantino - Baird Andy Barish - Jefferies Operator Greetings. And welcome to El Pollo Loco First Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. [Ope ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share LOCO The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC FORM 10-Q (Mark one) ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended March 27, 2019 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Co ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark one) ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 26, 2018 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 001-36556 | --- | --- | |--------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------| | | | | LOC ...

El Pollo Loco Holdings (NASDAQ:LOCO) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call March 7, 2019 5:00 PM ET Company Participants Larry Roberts - CFO Bernard Acoca - President and CEO Conference Call Participants Jake Bartlett - SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Matthew DiFrisco - Guggenheim Securities David Tarantino - Robert W. Baird Sharon Zackfia - William Blair Operator Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to El Pollo Loco Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all par ...