El Pollo Loco vs Pluckers Wing Bar Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of El Pollo Loco vs Pluckers Wing Bar including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Pluckers Wing Bar Franchise
Investment $900,000 - $1,755,000$70,000 - $225,000
Franchise Fee $40,000$18,000
Royalty Fee 2%-3%-4%-
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19751995
Year Franchised 19802000
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Pluckers Wing Bar Franchise
Experience We require a minimum of five years of experience as an owner/operator within the restaurant industry. You must also live in the area of development in order to manage the restaurant on a daily basis.

Previous restaurant experience is not necessary, although management and/or sales experience is preferable.


Financing Options

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Pluckers Wing Bar Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/No-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Pluckers Wing Bar Franchise
Training * Seven weeks pre-opening training for franchisee and restaurant managers * Franchise training consultants offering ongoing training programs for crew and management * Complete restaurant-opening support

*A twenty day start-up training program at our home office will instruct you in all aspects of managing a MD Pluckers Wing Factory & Grill including: *Preparation of all MD Pluckers menu items. *Customer Relations *Inventory management *Hiring and Personnel management *Bookkeeping & time management *Advertising and marketing campaigns *Ten days of training and assistance at your location including initial training of your employees.

Support Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations

At MD Pluckers, it is our job to give you the skills necessary to open and operate a successful restaurant. We are there every step of the way for our franchisees. Our Pre-opening support includes: *Site selection and lease negotiation *Granting each franchise owner an exclusive territory *Restaurant design and construction advice *A Pre-opening manual to guide you step-by-step *Grand Opening advertising and marketing campaigns *A twenty day start-up training program at our home office Once your MD Pluckers Wing Factory & Grill is ready to open, our support services continue to guide down the road to success including: *A confidential operation manual detailing every aspect of managing your location. *Ongoing marketing and advertising campaigns that are low-cost, but highly effective. *Field support and scheduled visits. *Group purchasing programs.

Marketing Has a proven history of successful marketing Is aligned with award-winning advertising agencies Utilizes a strategic approach to building a strong brand Is focused on driving traffic and sales profitably We provide a full array of targeted advertising tools and marketing plans to build awareness and drive customers into our restaurants through: Innovative marketing and advertising campaign Development and execution of bilingual promotional strategies Product innovation to fuel sustained growth Support for grand openings Marketing plans tailored to each market's needs Effective communication and support of franchisees' needs Access to El Pollo Loco's online LSM toolkit (at franchisees disposal) -
Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 25

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Pluckers Wing Bar Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About El Pollo Loco

In 1975, Juan Ochoa opened a roadside chicken stand in Guasace, Mexico, he called El Pollo Loco. Ochoa served chicken the same way his mother did, hand-marinating using an old family recipe and flame-broiling. The stand quickly grew in popularity, and over the next four years, Ochoa's family opened 85 restaurants in Northern Mexico. The chain moved into the United States in 1980 with the first restaurant opening on Alvarado Street in Los Angeles, California. El Pollo Loco featured an authentic recipe of fresh chicken marinated in special herbs, spices and citrus juices, and then fire-grilled to perfection. The restaurant quickly became a local favorite. Over the years, El Pollo Loco has added tacos, burritos and salads to its menu, all featuring the Ochoa family's chicken. In 1995, the chain entered into a joint venture with Foster's Freeze to offer soft-serve treats at El Pollo Loco restaurants. Today, the tradition continues with signature dishes that satisfy consumers’ desire for flavorful food that fits well with today's active lifestyles. We're currently fire-grilling marinated chicken in about 400 company and franchise-owned El Pollo Loco restaurants.

Franchise fees apply to new and existing franchisees with multi-unit development agreements in new markets through March 31, 2018. The initial franchise fee has been cut to $30,000 for the first restaurant and $20,000 for each additional restaurant. The standard franchise fee is $40,000, and $30,000 for secondary units. The initial franchise fee for any restaurant opened in the calendar year ahead of the year in their development schedule will be cut by 50%. And any restaurants opened beyond the multi-development agreement will be eligible for a zero dollar initial franchise fee. Royalty fees have also been reduced for the first time in three years: 2% for the first year, 3% in the second year, and 4% in the third year. The standard royalty fee is 5%.



About Pluckers Wing Bar

The first MD Pluckers Wing Factory & Grill was opened in 1995 in Austin, Texas. Our concept is unlike any other restaurant we know of! We believe in serving the highest quality food, including our seventeen delicious flavors of chicken wings and offering our customers the convenience of full service dine-in, take-out AND delivery of our entire menu. Our unique combination of food and services allows a franchise owner to maximize revenues and profits. Casual & Fun Dining The atmosphere at MD Pluckers is casual and fun, the kind of place you want to watch the big game with your friends or spend an evening with your family. We provide table service for sixty to one hundred guests per store. Because we offer delivery service, the 2,200 to 3,000 square feet necessary to operate a MD Pluckers allows a franchise owner to generate revenues similar to larger restaurants, but the benefit of lower overhead and higher profitability.
 If you think wings might be your thing. It is Pluckers' goal to create a family of franchise owners who share in our pursuit of the perfect chicken wing and seek to provide 100% satisfaction for all customers.