El Pollo Loco, Inc. (Nasdaq: LOCO) has opened its first restaurant in Idaho, located at 3471 W Chinden Blvd in Meridian, marking the chain's entry into its 10th state.

The company now operates in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Washington, with more than 500 company-owned and franchised locations systemwide.

According to a press release from the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company, El Pollo Loco operated in seven states less than two years ago. Since then, it has added Washington, New Mexico, and Idaho. The chain also opened its 500th restaurant in October 2025 and doubled its Denver presence earlier this year, while growing its Texas market to 34 restaurants.

The company plans to open 18 to 20 new restaurants systemwide in 2026, which it describes as nearly double its 2025 pace, with most new locations outside California.

"We are thrilled to be open in Idaho, which reinforces our continued commitment to drive sustainable traffic growth and thoughtfully accelerate restaurant development in new markets," said Liz Williams, Chief Executive Officer of El Pollo Loco.

The Meridian location is operated by a franchise group with more than 25 years of El Pollo Loco experience in California. A second Idaho location is scheduled to open in fall 2026, with three to four additional restaurants planned for the market.