El Pollo Loco Introduces Mexican Shredded Beef Birria, A Flavorful First in QSR

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“El Pollo Loco” or “Company) (Nasdaq: LOCO), the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant chain, is making history as the first QSR to add Mexican Shredded Beef Birria to its menu for a limited time. Birria is the latest Mexican food craze to hit the U.S., after having grown in popularity on social media. The new El Pollo Loco menu items are a notable departure from the brand’s namesake of chicken, a strategic choice to honor birria recipes reflective of the restaurant’s L.A. Mex heritage.

Birria is a traditional stew made with a combination of meat and spices and is widely celebrated as one of the most famous dishes hailing from the Mexican state of Jalisco. El Pollo Loco’s chefs have developed a Mexican Shredded Beef Birria with a nod to both the rising trends around the dish in America and the birria recipes that have been passed down through generations of Mexican familias. Mexican Shredded Beef Birria is available in three new entrees accompanied by a dippable birria consomé, a slow-simmered, savory beef broth with garlic, chili, and lime.

“When we develop new recipes at El Pollo Loco, we always consider the rich flavor profiles of our Mexican roots and go through countless rounds of testing so we can get each product just right,” says VP of Research and Development Heather Gardea. “Our Mexican Shredded Beef Birria is a proud achievement that takes our commitment to quality and deliciousness to a new level. The consomé dipping sauce is slow cooked and crafted with care to bring a truly authentic birria experience to anyone visiting El Pollo Loco. As soon as customers take that first dip of their quesadilla, burrito, or crunchy taco into the consomé, they will get the full birria craze experience!”

El Pollo Loco’s Mexican Shredded Beef Birria is available in three delicious offerings accompanied by fresh tortilla chips and consomé, perfect for dipping to add bolder flavor to every bite.

Shredded Beef Birria Stuffed Quesadilla: Filled with El Pollo Loco tender Mexican Shredded Beef Birria, melted cheese, fresh avocado, chopped onions and cilantro.

Shredded Beef Birria Burrito: Filled with El Pollo Loco tender Mexican Shredded Beef Birria, cheese, sour cream, rice, beans, cabbage, chopped onions, and cilantro.

Shredded Beef Birria Crunchy Tacos: Two Crunchy tacos filled with El Pollo Loco tender Mexican Shredded Beef Birria, cheese, chopped onion, and cilantro.

El Pollo Loco’s Mexican Shredded Beef Birria is available system-wide now until June 1.

The rollout of Mexican Shredded Beef Birria will be supported across TV, social and digital with a special #DipNDrip TikTok activation and custom Snapchat lens. To view the content and videos, visit El Pollo Loco’s TikTok and YouTube channel and for more information, visit https://www.elpolloloco.com/.

About El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco (Nasdaq:LOCO) is the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant with a mission to bring people together around food, family, and culture in the communities it serves. El Pollo Loco is renowned for its handcrafted L.A. Mex food, an innovative blend of traditional Mexican cuisine and better-for-you eating, that Los Angeles is known for. Since 1980, El Pollo Loco has successfully opened and maintained more than 480 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana while remaining true to its Mexican-American heritage. El Pollo Loco continues to grow and evolve, nourishing connections to tradition, culture, and one another through fire-grilled goodness that makes us feel like familia. For more information, visit us at ElPolloLoco.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Rosie Herzog
Edible, Inc
eplmedia@edible-inc.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a01e63fd-3d01-465d-b5ad-655b12851818