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Business Profile

Carry Out Food

El Pollo Loco Inc

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Carry Out Food.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for El Pollo Loco Inc's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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El Pollo Loco Inc has 94 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 64 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 18 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/11/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered the carnitas wet burrito with no Pico and they got my order wrong and also did not provide the chips with my combo. Hoping I can just get a credit or another meal. Thank you

      Business Response

      Date: 12/22/2023

      Thank you for taking the time to contact El Pollo Loco.

      Making freshly prepared food is our top priority, and we thank you for voicing your concerns over the quality of your meal. We appreciate your feedback and have shared it internally with our Restaurant Excellence Team to ensure we work to create a better customer experience in the future. As a token of our commitment, we will be sending you 2 $10 Be Our Guest Voucher to the address provided to the BBB. Thanks for being part of our Familia! 

      Sincerely,
      *****************************
      Customer Experience Team
      **************************. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/25/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I placed an order online in the app and I didn't receive my drink this is not the first time this had happened I didn't report it but I did call the restaurant about it they said go online and file a complaint they are located at ********************************************************************** the order # is22820224020792302

      Business Response

      Date: 11/28/2023

      Thank you for taking the time to contact El Pollo Loco. Making freshly prepared food is our top priority, and we thank you for voicing your order accuracy concerns during your recent visit. We appreciate your feedback and have shared it internally with our Restaurant Excellence Team to ensure we work to create a better customer experience in the future. As a token of our commitment, we added a $10 redeemable to your Loco Rewards account for the overall experience. This one-time-use redeemable reward can be found under the My Offers section within the Reward tab and must be used in its entirety and has no cash value. Thanks for being part of our Familia. We look forward to your next visit!  

      Sincerely,
      *****************************
      Customer Experience
      **************************. 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 11/28/2023


      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

      Regards,

      *******************************

       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/17/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Hello, I ordered online via the via for El Polo Loco on 10/16/2023 at location ************* AND ******************************************************************************* order was supposed to be ready at 6:45pm but when we arrived it wasn't still til around 7:00pm workers was rude and kept getting everyone else's food at drive through and door dash,Uber eats so I won't be going back there if that's the service provided

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/28/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 9/25/23 we bought a 12 piece family meal in store #**** on ****************************************************** ***** and the chicken was overcooked,dry,burned and it tasted old we love Pollo **** and this won't stop us from coming back but we never had this problem before thanks for your time sir or madam .

      Business Response

      Date: 10/04/2023

      Hello ********, 
      Thank you for contacting us about your experience at our ***********, *****, franchise location. We've shared your feedback with the operation leader for this location and have asked them to contact you regarding your refund request. We appreciate your feedback,and should you have any further issues, please get in touch with our customer experience team at ****************. Thank you, and have a great day!

      Please allow 1-2 business days for the operation leader to contact you regarding your experience.


    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/16/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On May 28, 2023, I placed an order through Door Dash the order was From El Pollo Locco, delivered to the wrong address, so I requested my money back of ***** plus, I called door dash the same day, and for several days after. Everyone that I spoke to from Door Dash support group, stated that they see the refund was being processed and til this day I have yet to receive my refund.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/03/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      first of all I am a loyal customer who spends over $500/month. With this new app our many thousands of points just vanished one day to the point value of 0. We have called customer service as of today July 3, 2023 5 times to report this problem with all the employees telling us the digital department will contact us with NO one as yet. We have told them I have screen shots of the points we have at the time on 2 different dates along with an excel spreadsheet of the rewards purchased and rewards added from their own account history. We have told them at many times the amount needed to be replaced on our app for spending the purchases. I will attach both pictures along with our spreadsheet.. They can do the same calculations up to the same date and come to the same conclusions we have. We have tried every avenue to get this resolved with no success. We can't get to the digital department nor and supervisor. We believe that our requests will continue to go unanswered and they are waiting for us to give up. I am asking BBB to look at our proof and help us get the proper resolution. This is a terrible way to treat a patron that spends that kind of money each month. We have even asked out favorite El Pollo local location for help and they said they would love to but they are not even allowed to use the app so they can't help nor give us anyone to call except the same number we have called 5 times in about 3 weeks. I believe Corporate doesn't care about their customers or we would have heard from someone by now.just use the photos as a starting place for points go to my account history and add and subtract and you will get the same point value as out spreadsheet.HELP!!

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/23/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      The business El Pollo Loco partners with DoorDash and the issue is with both companies.Both companies Promised and have failed to keep the promise that a refund would occur in 7 days, for two orders in the amounts of $25.94, and $15.00 for another order on the same day. A total of $35.94.El Pollo Loco was contacted and so was Door Dash on 6/8, the dates in which both orders occurred.Order #1 ***************** Order #2 ***************** Door Dash reference numbers:Reference for Order#1: ********* Reference for Order #2: ********* Documentation was sent to the company with the requested information. They gave me four different e-mail addresses to send the information to, but only two did not get a message saying it was UNDELIVERABLE. Voice mails and e-mails have been sent to the restaurant manager, without response. To this date, neither one has paid and they continue to pass the buck.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/25/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I placed an order on the El Pollo Loco app becuase I was offered $3 off a salad. I ordered on app and selected rewards for the $3 off. I did not order anything else. I was charged $10.33. On 05/25/2023 at 11:00 am When I arrived to the store. I mentioned the $3 discount to the cashier who didn't seem to understand and she directed me to the manager, A. H. Who told me that I had to get the discount through the app which I told him I already did and held up my phone to show the **** Mr. **** who offered no assistance in showing me how I was supposed to redeem this $3 off deal. I left the store very frustrated with my meal on the counter and I requested a refund which I am waiting for. This is not the first problem I've had with this manager and not honoring nor explaining the El Pollo Loco app, some time ago I was offered some other kind of deal but I was told by this same manager that I had to download the app and set up account which I did while I was in the store. I ordered thru the app and when I wasn't given my discount. The same manager said something like, "oh the discount is given on your second order" I feel this manager needs more training on how the El Pollo app works or he is being dishonest and not honoring El Pollo Loco's advertised discounts. This manager's incompetence or dishonesty has forever lost my business.Order number ****** ******* ****.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/08/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This establishment did a pinless debit transaction on 5/2/23 for a purchase I never received in the amount of $9.36. The troubling part is I did not use my debit card, I paid cash for my purchase and it totaled $6.92. I contacted the corporate office for them to investigate. I also went back to the establishment the next day trying to find out how this happened when I never brought out my debit card. No one was able to answer my question and I'm still waiting to hear something from the corporate office regarding who is handling my case what their procedure are when one of their chains fraudulently access a consumer's bank account without authorization and for them to give me back the $9.32 they took from my bank account without authorization.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/01/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered thru the app on Friday evening about 10pm, one hour before closing. My order was ready to pick up by 10:15pm and my girlfriend arrived shortly after only to find the doors locked and they wouldn't open or respond to her. I called the store and told them she is picking up the order and they said to go to the drive thru window. When she did, they said there was no order there for pick up. She left. I confirmed the address and called them back and gave them her description and the order she is picking up and they said that they see her and the order was ready. When she came to the window they said no order was ready for pick up and they were closing in a few min. They then tried giving her someone else's order under a totally different name which she told them that wasn't hers and refused it. I was still charged for the order and never received it but what really makes me never want to go to El Pollo Loco again is the fact that they blatantly lied to me twice about my order. I want a full refund immediately

    El Pollo Loco Inc is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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