Construction of the restaurant along the eastbound side of the bustling Interstate 2 corridor was expected to begin this month, TDLR records show. Owners EPL Real Estate Ltd. are investing $1.5 million to build the 2,954-square-foot El Pollo Loco from the ground up, according to TDLR. The restaurant will accommodate 88 people and nearly four dozen vehicles.
The project site is currently vacant land, but the restaurant has been in the works for months. Hidalgo County property records show that EPL Real Estate purchased the 1-acre lot in mid-February.
Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, El Pollo Loco has twice been named one of the best restaurants for “quick, healthy food” by USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards. The company currently boasts more than 500 restaurants across 10 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington state.
Franchisees operate about three dozen El Pollo Loco restaurants across the Lone Star State. However, the company is currently expanding its reach in Texas, including one new location that opened in 2025 and more expected to come, according to an annual financial report that El Pollo Loco filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in March.
“In fiscal 2026, we intend to open three to four new company-operated restaurants in California and Texas and 15 to 16 new franchised restaurants,” El Pollo Loco officials said in the report.