FORM10-Q (Mark one) ☒QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION13 OR 15(d)OF THE SECURITIESEXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period endedMarch26,2025 ☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION13 OR 15(d)OF THE SECURITIESEXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period fromtoCommission File Number:001-36556 EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS, INC.(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware20-3563182(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 3535 Harbor Blvd.,Suite 100,Costa Mesa,California92626(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code) (714)599-5000(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)N/A(Former name, former address and former fiscalyear, if changed since last report)Securities registered pursuant to Section12(b)of the Act: Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1)has filed all reports required to be filed by Section13 or 15(d)of theSecurities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to filesuch reports), and (2)has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90days.☒Yes☐No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to besubmitted pursuant to Rule405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12months (or for such shorterperiod that the registrant was required to submit such files).☒Yes☐No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, asmaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”“smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule12b-2 of the Exchange Act. LargeAcceleratedFiler☐ Non-accelerated Filer☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transitionperiod for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section13(a)of the ExchangeAct.☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule12b-2 of the Exchange Act).☐Yes☒No As of April 25, 2025, there were30,052,186shares of the issuer’s common stock outstanding. Table of ContentsPage PARTI—FINANCIAL INFORMATION3Item1. Financial Statements.3Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)3Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)4Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Unaudited)5Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)6Notesto Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)7Operations.25Item3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.39Item4. Controls and Procedures.40 PARTII—OTHER INFORMATION40Item1. Legal Proceedings.40Item1A. Risk Factors.40Item2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.40Item3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.41Item4. Mine Safety Disclosures.41Item5. Other Information.41Item6. Exhibits.42Signatures44 PARTI—FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS,INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) Thirteen Weeks EndedMarch26,2025March27,2024RevenueCompany-operated restaurant revenue$98,365$97,153Franchise revenue13,18311,348Franchise advertising fee revenue7,6297,652Total revenue119,177116,153Cost of operationsFood and paper cost24,73925,619Labor and related expenses32,17930,580Occupancy and other operating expenses25,67323,865Company restaurant expenses82,59180,064General and administrative expenses11,26311,925Franchise expenses12,44210,602Depreciation and amortization3,8873,851Loss on disposal of assets1141Gain on recovery of insurance proceeds, property, equipment andexpenses—(41)Impairment and closed-store reserves1132Total expenses110,205106,474Income from operations8,9729,679Interest expense, net1,1761,564Income before provision for income taxes7,7968,115Provision for income taxes2,3152,203Net income$5,481$5,912Net income per shareBasic$0.19$0.19Diluted$0.19$0.19Weighted-average shares used in computing net income pershareBasic29,085,83630,777,769Diluted29,337,90630,937,226 EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS,INC.CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’EQUITY (UNAUDITED) EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS,INC.CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)(Amounts in thousands) EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS,INC. NOTESTO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED) 1.BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTINGPOLICIES Overview El Pollo Loco Holdings,Inc. (“Holdings” or “Company”) is a Delaware corporation headquartered inCosta Mesa, California. Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are collectively referred toherein as the “Company.” The Company’s activities are conducted principally through its indirectwholly owned subs