El Pollo Loco is a privately owned company headquartered in the US. Founded in 1980, it employs approximately 3,740 individuals. The company operates as three independent restaurant chains that specialize in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The Mexican and American companies were founded by Juan Francisco Ochoa, while the Filipino company began as a franchisee of the American company in 1991, later breaking free of its contract and being allowed to retain its trademarks within the Philippines in 2016.