Best Restaurant Stocks For 2015

Best Restaurant Stocks For 2015: El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc (LOCO)

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., formerly EPL Holdings, Inc., incorporated in 1999, own, operate and franchise restaurants specializing in marinated, flame-grilled chicken. During the fiscal year ended December 28, 2005 (fiscal 2005), the Company's restaurant system had 340 restaurants, consisting of 146 company-operated and 194 franchised restaurants, located principally in California, with additional restaurants in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Illinois. In fiscal 2005, the Company closed one company-operated and one franchised restaurant and it opened six company-operated and seven franchised restaurants. The Company's restaurant is a freestanding building ranging from approximately 2,200 to 2,600 square feet with seating for approximately 60 customers and offering drive-thru convenience.

The Company's menu features flame-grilled chicken and includes approximately 50 items, most of which it prepares from scratch. The Company serves a range of individual and famil y-size chicken meals, which include flour or corn tortillas, salsas and a range of side orders, such as Spanish rice and pinto beans. In addition, the Company offers a range of Mexican-inspired entrees featuring marinated, flame-grilled chicken as the central ingredient, including its specialty Pollo Bowl, Pollo Salads, signature burritos, chicken quesadillas, chicken tortilla soup and chicken tacos.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Katie Lobosco]

  El Pollo Loco (LOCO) has 401 company-owned and franchise locations in five states, including Texas and Arizona. But the vast majority of its restaurants are in the Golden State.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  One of this year's hottest individual public offerings is El Pollo Loco (LOCO). The fast-casual chain specializing in citrus-marinated grilled chicken has seen its stock roughly double since going public at $15 this summer.! There have been several eatery IPOs that have gone stale in recent months, but El Pollo Loco has remained strong. That could all change on Thursday when it reports. It will be the market's first taste of the chicken chain as a public company, and naturally expectations are high when a stock doubles out of the gate. Friday -- At the Movies

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  www.elpolloloco.com One of this year's hottest initial public offerings is a quick-service restaurant chain that prides itself on its grilled citrus-marinated chicken. El Pollo Loco (LOCO) has seen its stock more than double since it went public at $15 in July. The California-based eatery had its first chance to impress investors with its first quarterly report as a public company on Thursday. It didn't disappoint. Sales inched 6.3 percent higher to $86.9 million, fueled primarily by a 5.4 percent increase in system-wide comparable-restaurant sales. Adjusted earnings climbed 10 percent to $6.1 million -- or 16 cents a share. The results were in line with analyst targets of 16 cents a share in net income on $86.4 million in sales. This isn't the kind of monster growth that investors associate with stocks that double within two months of storming out of the IPO gate, but El Pollo Loco now has the ammo to begin expanding its reach beyond the 401 locations open at the end of June. For investors, El Pollo Loco offers an opportunity to cash in on the fast-casual trend that's been faring better than traditional fast-food chains or casual-dining establishments. Spreading Its Wings Going public has its challenges. It forces companies to live up to Wall Street's quarterly expectations, and that can often get in the way of carrying out long-term growth plans. However, trading publicly gives a company the ability to tap equity markets to raise capital. It also helps validate brands, and that's a pretty big deal for a consumer-facing res! taurant o! perator that relies on third-party franchisees to help build out its empire. A majority of its eateries -- 233 locations, or 58 percent -- are owned and operated by franchisees. Expansion has been slow until now. El Pollo Loco had 347 locations when it originally tried but ultimately failed to go public in 2006. Growing your store count by 16 percent through eight years isn't very impressive. El Pollo Loco had 398 restauran

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-restaurant-stocks-for-2015.html