Franchise opportunities compared
El Pollo Loco vs Wingstop
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
El Pollo Loco
$793,750
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 33Wingstop
$310,400 – $1,048,500
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22Initial franchise fee · Item 5
El Pollo Loco
$40,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15Wingstop
$25,000
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 13Royalty · Item 6
El Pollo Loco
Not available
Wingstop
6%
2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (El Pollo Loco: 34, Wingstop: 5). Different groups are not directly comparable.
Financial commitment
El Pollo Loco
WingstopEl Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
System scale & health
El Pollo LocoWingstopEl Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
El Pollo Loco
Wingstop
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
El Pollo LocoWingstopItem 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.
El Pollo Loco vs Wingstop: common questions
- Which costs less to open, El Pollo Loco or Wingstop?
- El Pollo Loco: $793,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 33); Wingstop: $310,400 – $1,048,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Wingstop. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, El Pollo Loco or Wingstop?
- El Pollo Loco: 503 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 91); Wingstop: 2,586 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 67). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do El Pollo Loco and Wingstop disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- El Pollo Loco has reviewed Item 19 figures for 34 location groups; Wingstop has reviewed Item 19 figures for 5 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 El Pollo Loco report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full Wingstop report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
