Dive Brief:
- El Pollo Loco has hired Damon Thomas as chief operating officer and Tara Hinkle as chief development officer, the company said in a Tuesday press release.
- Thomas most recently worked as senior vice president of operations at Shake Shack for over a year, per his LinkedIn profile. He also has held leadership positions at Yoshinoya America, Quest Food Management Services, Raising Cane’s and Islands. Hinkle most recently served as president and head of Americas at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and has also worked at Taco Bell and Starbucks, per the release.
- Thomas and Hinkle will support the chain’s ongoing growth, which includes entering New York with a location in Queens — expected to open in mid-2027. El Pollo Loco signed three development agreements with one long-time franchisee and two new ones, which collectively will open 15 restaurants in the Empire State over the next five years.
Dive Insight:
El Pollo Loco said it posted three consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, improved restaurant economics and ongoing progress with its transformation plan, all of which prime the brand for new unit growth. Earlier this year, it entered its 10th state with a restaurant opening in Idaho, and has over 500 restaurants as of the end of the second quarter
“We have strengthened our brand and operations, enhanced our business model, and assembled an experienced leadership team to support sustainable expansion,” CEO Liz Williams said in a statement.
Thomas brings significant experience with high-growth brands to his new role. He said he plans to work with company and franchise teams to “drive operational excellence” and bolster the guest experience. His role will also be to build systems that better support the brand as it opens in New York and other new markets.
Hinkle was brought on in July and has almost 20 years of experience in the areas of franchising, development and operational planning, the company said.
“Entering New York is a meaningful step in building a thoughtful, scalable development pipeline for El Pollo Loco,” said Hinkle. “We are focused on choosing the right sites, selecting and supporting strong operators, and growing in a way that creates lasting value for our guests, franchisees and shareholders.”
