FDD ITEM 20 · FISCAL 2022–2024
El Pollo Loco Item 20: outlets, exits & growth
In its latest FDD Item 20 (fiscal 2024, from the 2024 FDD · 1+ year old), El Pollo Loco reported 325 franchised outlets at year end. 1 of 323 franchised outlets open at the start of the year left the system (exit rate 0.3%, fiscal 2024), while 3 new outlets opened. Systemwide units moved +1.6% over 2022–2024.
| Status (FTC) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlets at start | 480 | 490 | 495 |
| Opened | 19 | 21 | 3 |
| Transfers | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| Terminations | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Non-renewals | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reacquired by franchisor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ceased — other reasons | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Outlets at end | 490 | 495 | 498 |
| Net change | +10 | +5 | +3 |
1 terminations + 0 non-renewals + 0 ceased (other) = 1 exits ÷ 323 at start = 0.3%
These are the three FTC Item 20 statuses in which a franchised outlet left the system — including voluntary non-renewals and outlets that ceased for other reasons, which can include sales or absorption into another franchise. Transfers (7) are resales, not exits; reacquisitions by the franchisor (0) are tracked separately. There is no official “failure rate”, and not every exit is a closure or a failure; Item 20 does not say why any outlet left. On a small starting base, a single exit moves this rate sharply.
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