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COSTA MESA, Calif. - El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) saw its stock jump 4% after the fire-grilled chicken chain reported fourth quarter earnings and revenue that surpassed analyst expectations.
The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.20, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14. Revenue for the quarter came in at $114.3 million, topping analyst projections of $113.24 million and rising 1.9% YoY.
System-wide comparable restaurant sales increased 0.5% in Q4. Company-operated restaurant revenue grew to $95.6 million, up from $94.0 million in the same quarter last year, driven by a 1.6% rise in comparable restaurant revenue.
"2024 was a foundational year for El Pollo Loco as we made tremendous progress across all our key objectives," said CEO Liz Williams. She added that the company looks forward to "continuing our profitable growth as we progress toward our goal of making El Pollo Loco the national fire-grilled chicken brand."
Restaurant contribution, a key metric, improved to 16.7% of company-operated restaurant revenue, compared to 15.8% in Q4 2023. The company attributed this to higher menu prices and improved operating efficiencies.
For 2025, El Pollo Loco expects to open 1-2 new company-operated restaurants and 8-9 new franchised locations. The company projects capital spending between $30.0-$34.0 million and general and administrative expenses of $48.0-$51.0 million for the year.
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