Irvine-Based Chicken Chain’s Got Legs
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El Pollo Loco took a major leap in QSR magazine’s annual study of drive-thru restaurants.
The Irvine-based chicken chain ranked eighth in overall drive-thru service, placing higher than any other Orange County-based chain, according to the North Carolina trade publication for the fast-food industry. El Pollo Loco ranked 16th a year ago.
The QSR study was conducted to determine restaurant performances in four categories: speed, accuracy, menu board appearance and speaker clarity. It included 25 fast-food chains with a minimum of 300 drive-thru locations.
A total of 15,786 time studies were completed in 50 states by 161 market researchers who visited restaurants during peak lunch and dinner hours.
El Pollo Loco scored seventh-highest in order accuracy, improving from 15th place last year and seventh in menu board appearance, up from 21st place.
“It really reinforces that the things we are doing are the right kinds of things,” said Julie Weeks, spokeswoman for the 274-unit chain, which has 38 restaurants in Orange County.
Other overall scores for local chains: Laguna Hills-based Del Taco was 15th, up from 20th a year earlier; Irvine-based Taco Bell fell to 17th from fifth, and Anaheim-based Carl’s Jr. dropped to 24th from 21st.
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