who is the founder of el pollo loco
El Pollo Loco
short
Juan Francisco Ochoa
El Pollo Loco is the name of two independent restaurant chains that are controlled by different companies , El Pollo Loco , Inc. and El Pollo Loco , S.A. de C.V. Both companies specialize in Mexican - style grilled chicken and were founded by Juan Francisco Ochoa . Ochoa established the first El Pollo Loco restaurant in Guasave , Sinaloa , Mexico , in the mid-1970s , and then expanded his chain into the United States in 1980 . Ochoa then sold his U.S. restaurants in 1983 , which became El Pollo Loco , Inc. , while keeping the ones in Mexico , which became El Pollo Loco , S.A. de C.V. Both companies have since occupied non-overlapping global territories , and have offered different fare .