El Pollo Loco(US:LOCO) Globenewswire·2025-03-06 21:05Core Insights - El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. reported financial results for the 13- and 52-week periods ended December 25, 2024, highlighting a foundational year with significant progress and a positive outlook for 2025 [4][5]. Financial Performance - Company-operated restaurant revenue for Q4 2024 increased to $95.6 million, up from $94.0 million in Q4 2023, driven by a $1.5 million increase in comparable restaurant revenue (1.6%) and $0.5 million from new restaurant openings [5][9]. - Franchise revenue rose by 2.5% to $11.2 million, attributed to the opening of four franchise-operated restaurants and the sale of one company-operated restaurant to franchisees [6]. - Total revenue for Q4 2024 was $114.3 million, compared to $112.2 million in Q4 2023, with system-wide comparable restaurant sales increasing by 0.5% [9]. - Net income for Q4 2024 was $6.0 million ($0.20 per diluted share), compared to $4.4 million ($0.14 per diluted share) in Q4 2023 [10][9]. - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2024 was $14.3 million, an increase from $13.6 million in the previous year [9]. Operational Metrics - Income from operations in Q4 2024 was $9.0 million, up from $7.5 million in Q4 2023, with restaurant contribution at $16.0 million (16.7% of company-operated restaurant revenue) compared to $14.8 million (15.8%) in the prior year [7][9]. - General and administrative expenses increased to $11.1 million in Q4 2024 from $10.6 million in Q4 2023, primarily due to higher labor-related costs [8]. Debt and Shareholder Actions - As of December 25, 2024, the company had an outstanding debt balance of $71.0 million, with $2.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. The company repurchased 103,702 shares for approximately $1.3 million during the fourth quarter [11]. Future Outlook - The company anticipates opening one to two new company-operated restaurants and eight to nine new franchised restaurants in 2025, with capital spending projected between $30.0 million and $34.0 million [16].