El Pollo Loco on Thursday said it generated positive same store sales growth of 2.1% in its fourth quarter ended December 2025, marking the first increase since 2024. Â
The company’s same store sales were down less than 1% in the first three quarters of 2025. El Pollo Loco noted that Q4 2025 included an additional week compared to the 13 weeks that made up the same period in 2024. Â
The Costa Mesa-based restaurant chain on March 12 reported total revenue rose 8% to $123 million during the quarter. Analysts expected Q4 revenue of $122.6 million. Â
Shares were up 5.7% to $11.50 apiece during after-hours trading (Nasdaq: LOCO). Â
“As we look ahead, our priority for 2026 is clear: to drive sustainable traffic growth across our system and thoughtfully accelerate new restaurant growth in new markets,” Chief Executive Liz Williams said in a statement. “We will achieve this goal while maintaining margin discipline and unit economics.” Â
El Pollo Loco also introduced its 2026 forecast, which predicts same store sales growth of 1% to 3% for the year. The company said it expects similar growth for 2027 and 2028 as well. Â
