Franchise opportunities compared
Earl OF Sandwich vs El Pollo Loco
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Initial investment · Item 7
Earl OF Sandwich
$303,000 – $639,500
2025 FDD · Item 7El Pollo Loco
$793,750
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 33Initial franchise fee · Item 5
Earl OF Sandwich
$25,000
2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12El Pollo Loco
$40,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15Royalty · Item 6
Earl OF Sandwich
6%
2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13El Pollo Loco
Not available
Before you compare
- Earl OF Sandwich figures come from its 2025 FDD and El Pollo Loco figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
- Earl OF Sandwich discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only El Pollo Loco has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
Financial commitment
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo LocoEarl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
System scale & health
Earl OF SandwichEl Pollo LocoEarl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Earl OF Sandwich
El Pollo Loco
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
Earl OF SandwichNot disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation
El Pollo LocoItem 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
Earl OF Sandwich vs El Pollo Loco: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Earl OF Sandwich or El Pollo Loco?
- Earl OF Sandwich: $303,000 – $639,500 (2025 FDD · Item 7); El Pollo Loco: $793,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 33). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Earl OF Sandwich. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Earl OF Sandwich or El Pollo Loco?
- Earl OF Sandwich: 31 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49); El Pollo Loco: 503 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 91). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Earl OF Sandwich and El Pollo Loco disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Earl OF Sandwich makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; El Pollo Loco has reviewed Item 19 figures for 34 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Keep researching
Full Earl OF Sandwich report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full El Pollo Loco report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
