El Pollo Loco vs Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Franchise
Investment $900,000 - $1,755,000$383,500 - $2,620,800
Franchise Fee $40,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 2%-3%-4%5%
Advertising Fee -4%
Year Founded 19751972
Year Franchised 19801976
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Term Of Agreement 20 years20 years
Renewal Fee -$15000


Business Experience Requirements

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 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.-

Financing Options

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
Equipment No/NoNo/No
Inventory No/NoNo/No
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support

 
El Pollo Loco Franchise
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen 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 supportClassroom and in-restaurant training
Support Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluationsThe Popeyes Business Support Center provides state-of-the-industry franchise support for our franchisees. Everything from site acceptance to training to marketing support is just a phone call away. To help with opening your restaurant, you'll receive support from the experts on our Market Development Team. Prior to opening your restaurant, you'll attend a training program at our state-of-the-art facility in Atlanta. We'll also send a team to help train the staff of your new restaurant. Once your restaurant is open, you'll be assigned a single point of contact from our Franchise Support Team who will help you choose and implement business-building programs. These programs are designed by the experts in their field to provide tools to help and support you as you work to become a successful Popeyes franchisee. Additionally, we continue to develop and implement many in-restaurant operations improvements to deliver our delicious New Orleans-style menu to our customers more efficiently than ever before. We continuously evaluate our systems, from drive-thru to back office to production and point-of-sale to provide our franchisees the best programs available to support their restaurant operations.
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
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion NoNo
International Expansion NoNo

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 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Operating a successful franchise requires talent, dedication and a sincere commitment to the Popeyes brand name. Our goal as a company is and always has been to partner with the best people in each market - people with a proven track record in business. Because franchisees are so important to our success, we are looking to expand our relationship with qualified individuals who possess the right mix of expertise and enthusiasm. Our ideal candidates possess each of the following characteristics: * Solid business experience * Proven expertise in owning or operating restaurants * Previous franchise experience advantageous * Net worth of $500,000 ($250,000 liquid) per restaurant * Commitment to grow with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

Seeking new franchise units in the U.S., Asia, Canada, Central America, Middle East, Mexico, South America and Western Europe


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