After almost 20 years on Harbor Boulevard, El Pollo Loco is relocating its headquarters within Costa Mesa.
The grilled chicken chain in May signed a new seven-year lease at The MET office campus, less than four miles from its current headquarters at 3535 Harbor Blvd.
El Pollo Loco confirmed last week that it would relocate headquarters to the newly leased office in November. The new space, at 575 Anton Blvd. on the 12th floor, spans 20,298 square feet – slightly smaller than the 24,890 square feet it leases on Harbor Boulevard. That lease expires in 2026, according to regulatory filings.
The new lease was signed for $46.20 per square foot, according to data from CoStar.
El Pollo Loco has more than 1,400 employees in Orange County across 51 restaurants in the region and its headquarters. 175 employees are based at its HQ.
“As our business has grown and we got close to the end of our lease term, we started a search to find a modern office space that reflects who we are as the leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant, and has a test kitchen, to support our culinary innovation,” Chief Executive Liz Williams said in an emailed statement. “The timing couldn’t be better given our recent brand refresh and new iconic restaurant design.”
Williams said during an interview last year at the current headquarters that she values the access to industry talent in OC.
In the 2024 interview, she pointed to El Pollo Loco’s current leadership team that collectively counts decades of restaurant experience — Chief Financial Officer Ira Fils previously worked at Irvine-based Habit Burger & Grill for almost 14 years while Chief Operating Officer Maria Hollandsworth spent over 20 years at Jack in the Box Inc. in San Diego.
El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq: LOCO) was trading around $10.93 per share at press time, down 4.2% since January, with a market cap of $328 million.
New Enhancements Coming to Office Campus
The MET campus includes three office buildings that are “approaching 80% leased,” according to Michael Coppin, senior vice president of leasing for property owner McCarthy Cook.
Approximately 75,000 square feet of office space has been leased year-to-date in 2025 with other spaces in negotiations. California Pizza Kitchen is another restaurant company headquartered at The MET. The pizza chain moved from Los Angeles into its current space in 2022.
“The MET continues to attract several dynamic industries within our tenancies, including a wide array of industries,” Coppin said.
McCarthy Cook, a joint venture partner with Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, is planning to invest in “hospitality and amenity enhancements” at the site starting this year. New offerings will include an upscale chef-driven restaurant, a craft Biergarten, a coffee and breakfast café, and a pickleball club, according to Coppin.
