El Pollo Loco to Begin Phasing Steak Off the Menu

2011 marks a hopeful fresh start for the El Pollo Loco brand. According to a report released by the OC Register, we’re now clued in to the fact that the restaurant chain will be shifting its focus from steak to chicken in the upcoming new year. 2010 saw a large portion of El Pollo Loco’s ad dollars funneled into promotion for their steak products; as a result, chicken, the brand’s flagship meat, suffered in both popularity and innovation.

A new ad firm has been brought in to revitalize the focus on their signature flame-grilled chicken with more resources being shifted around to bolster internal inspection programs to increase food quality and improve service. Reporter Nancy Luna went deeper with El Pollo Loco’s CEO Steve Sather, inquiring further about the restaurant’s goals in the coming months.  According to their interview, the chain will approach their offerrings from a healthier lens, with chicken playing a major role in this initiative. Steak will be gone, completely, by Spring 2011.