EXHIBIT
99.1





EPL
Intermediate, Inc. Announces Results for the


13
Weeks and 26 Weeks Ended June 30, 2009





COSTA
MESA, CA -- (BUSINESS WIRE) – August 13, 2009 - EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“El
Pollo Loco” or the “Company”), parent company of El Pollo Loco, Inc., today
reported results for its 13-week second quarter and 26 weeks ended July 1,
2009.  For purposes of simplicity, the Company has described its
second quarters ended July 1, 2009 and June 25, 2008 as June 30, 2009 and June
30, 2008, respectively.





El Pollo
Loco reported operating revenue for the 13-week second quarter ended June 30,
2009 of $72.7 million, which is a decrease of $3.7 million, or 4.9%, below
operating revenue for the 13-week quarter ended June 30, 2008 of $76.4
million.  Operating revenue includes sales at company-operated stores
and franchise revenue.  The decrease in company-operated restaurant
revenue was primarily attributed to a 7.0% decrease in company-operated
same-store sales for the second quarter of 2009 compared to the second quarter
of 2008 and lost sales of $0.5 million from the closure of three
company-operated restaurants in 2008.  The decrease was partially
offset by an increase in restaurant revenue of $1.8 million from nine
restaurants opened in 2008 and by $0.6 million generated from two restaurants
opened in 2009.





Franchise
revenue decreased $0.7 million, or 12.1%, to $4.9 million for the 13 weeks ended
June 30, 2009 from $5.6 million for the 13 weeks ended June 30,
2008.  This decrease is due primarily to decreased development fees
which are attributed to fewer franchised restaurant openings in the current
period and also due to lower royalties and percentage rent income, which are
based on sales, resulting from a 6.6% decrease in franchise-operated same-store
sales for the 2009 period compared to the 2008 period.





Same-store
sales for the system (includes both company and franchise locations) decreased
6.8% in the second quarter of 2009.  Restaurants enter the comparable
restaurant base for same-store sales the first full week after that restaurant’s
15-month anniversary.





Operating
income increased $7.1 million, or 237.0%, to $4.1 million in the second quarter
of 2009 from an operating loss of $3.0 million for the same quarter of 2008.
This increase is due primarily to an expense of $10.7 million incurred in the
second quarter of 2008 to settle trademark litigation between EPL-Mexico v.
EPL-USA that did not recur in the current year.





Other
items impacting the comparison of operating income between the second quarter of
2009 and the second quarter of 2008 include:





·
            Product
      costs decreased $0.4 million, or 2.0%, to $22.2 million for the second 13
      weeks of 2009 from $22.6 million for the second 13 weeks of
      2008.  This decrease resulted primarily from lower sales due to
      the decrease in company-operated same-store sales in the 2009
      period.  These costs, as a percentage of restaurant revenue,
      were 32.8% for the second quarter of 2009 compared to 32.0% for the same
      period of 2008.  The 0.8% increase for the 13 weeks ended June
      30, 2009 is attributed primarily to increases in commodity costs and higherand more frequentdiscounting in the second
      quarter of 2009, partially offset by menu price increases taken in May and
      October of 2008.  Approximately 0.2% of the 0.8% increase was
      due to a one-day promotion in the second quarter of 2009 that offered a
      free 2-piece chicken meal.  Overall, we expect continued
      pressure on commodity costs through
2009.




1




·
            Payroll
      and benefit expenses decreased $0.4 million, or 2.0%, to $18.1 million for
      the second quarter of 2009 compared to the second quarter of
      2008.  The decrease resulted primarily from fewer employees
      needed to support the lower sales volume in the 2009 second quarter. As a percentage of
      restaurant revenue, these costs increased 0.6 % to 26.7% for the second
      quarter of 2009 from 26.1% for the same quarter of 2008 due to the
      decrease in restaurant revenue and the one-day promotion in the current
      period that offered a free 2-piece chicken
meal.




·
            Restaurant  other
      operating expense (includes utilities, repair and maintenance,
      advertising, property taxes, occupancy and other operating expenses)
      decreased $0.1 million, or 0.7%, to $15.9 million for the 13 weeks ended
      June 30, 2009 from $16.0 million for the 13 weeks ended June 30,
      2008.  As a percentage of revenue, restaurant other operating
      expense increased to 23.5% in the second 13 weeks of 2009 compared to
      22.6% for the same period of 2008.  This increase in operating
      costs as a percentage of restaurant revenue was due to a 0.7% rise in
      occupancy costs as a percentage of revenue, primarily as a result of
      higher rent expense in the second quarter of 2009 (mainly due to new
      stores and to the deleverage caused by the decrease in sales) and higher
      general liability expense in the current quarter from an increased number
      of claims during this timeframe.  The increase was also due to
      higher advertising expense of 0.5% as a percentage of
      revenue.  Advertising expense each quarter may be above or below
      our planned annual rate of 4% of revenue, depending on the timing of
      marketing promotions and the relative weights and prices of media
      spending.  The increase in restaurant other operating expense as
      a percentage of restaurant revenue was partially offset by a 0.5% decrease
      in utilities as a percentage of revenue primarily due to lower natural gas
      prices and also a 0.1% decrease in preopening costs as a percentage of
      revenue due to fewer restaurants opened in the current
      quarter.





·
            General
      and administrative expense decreased $9.6 million, or 52.9%, to $8.6
      million for the 13 weeks ended June 30, 2009 from $18.2 million for the
      same quarter of 2008.  The decrease was primarily due to lower
      legal fees due to a $10.7 million expense in the prior year quarter to
      settle the EPL-Mexico v. EPL-USA trademark litigation that did not recur
      in the current period.  The decrease was also attributed to
      lower salaries and wages due to lower headcount which was partially offset
      by legal settlement accruals in the second quarter of 2009 of $2.4
      million.





Interest
expense, net of interest income, increased $2.0 million, or 30.1%, to $8.4
million for the second 13 weeks of 2009 from $6.4 million for the second 13
weeks of 2008.  Average debt balances for the second 13 weeks of 2009
increased to $253.2 million compared to $250.5 million for the second 13 weeks
of 2008.  The increase in interest expense was also attributed to the
write off of deferred finance costs related to our credit facility which was
paid in full in May 2009.




2




The
Company had $0.6 million in other expense in the 2009 period primarily related
to the change in the fair value of the interest rate swap
agreement.  The fixed interest rate that the Company agreed to pay was
higher than the floating rate estimated for the life of the
agreement.  The Company terminated the interest rate swap agreement in
the second quarter of 2009.





Despite
having a loss for the 13 weeks ended June 30, 2009, our provision for income
taxes consisted of an income tax expense of $22.4 million as the Company
recorded a valuation allowance of $21.3 million against our deferred tax assets
in the current period.  We had an income tax benefit of $3.9 million
for the 13-week period ended June 30, 2008.





As a
result of the factors cited above, there was a net loss for the 13 weeks ended
June 30, 2009 of $27.2 million compared to a net loss of $5.6 million for the 13
weeks ended June 30, 2008.





Operating
revenues for the 26-week period ended June 30, 2009 were $143.3 million, which
was a decrease of $4.3 million, or 2.9%, over operating revenues for the 26
weeks ended June 30, 2008 of $147.6 million.




Same-store
sales for the system decreased 6.3% for the 26 weeks ended June 30,
2009.




Operating
income for the 26 weeks ended June 30, 2009 was $8.2 million, an increase of
$4.8 million, or 138.8%, from operating income of $3.4 million for the 26 weeks
ended June 30, 2008. This is due primarily to an expense of $10.7 million
incurred in the second quarter of 2008 to settle litigation between EPL-Mexico
v. EPL-USA trademark litigation that did not recur in the current
year.




Interest
expense, net of interest income, increased $0.8 million, or 5.9%, to $14.4
million for the 26 weeks ended June 30, 2009 from $13.6 million for the 26 weeks
ended June 30, 2008.  The increase in interest expense was attributed
to the write off of deferred finance costs related to our credit facility which
was paid in full in May 2009.




The
Company had $0.4 million in other expense in the 2009 period primarily related
to the change in the fair value of the interest rate swap
agreement.  The fixed rate that the Company agreed to pay was higher
than the floating rate estimated for the life of the agreement.  The
Company terminated the interest rate swap agreement in the second quarter of
2009.




The
Company had $0.5 million in other income in the 2009 period attributed to a net
gain on the repurchase of a portion of its 2013 Notes.  This gain is
net of the portion of the deferred finance costs associated with the
notes.




Despite
having a loss for the 26 weeks ended June 30, 2009, our provision for income
taxes consisted of an income tax expense of $22.3 million as we recorded a
valuation allowance of $21.3 million against our deferred tax assets in the
current period.  We had an income tax benefit of $4.1 million for the
26-week period ended June 30, 2008.




As a
result of the factors above, there was a net loss for the 26 weeks ended June
30, 2009 of $28.5 million compared to a net loss of $6.0 million for the 26
weeks ended June 30, 2008.




Commenting
on results for the second quarter of 2009, Stephen E. Carley, president and CEO
of El Pollo Loco, Inc. said, “As we expected, 2009 has proven to be more
challenging than last year as a result of several converging factors which
include further contraction in the economy; disproportionately high levels of
unemployment in our core markets and, in particular, among Hispanics, which are
a key demographic for our brand; and fierce competitive activity fueled by deep
discounting.  The depressed economy, especially in California where
the vast majority of our restaurants are located, negatively impacted our same
store-sales and restaurant margins and contributed to our first decline in
six-month same-store sales in nine years.”




3




“Given
the profound impact the current economy is having on consumers, we opted not to
initiate a menu price increase in the first half of the year and we increased
our promotional activity, which included a one-day free 2-piece chicken meal
give-away,” Carley said.  “These factors, along with consumers being
increasingly careful about where and how they spend their money, put pressure on
our average check in the first half of the year.  Our marketing
initiatives going forward will focus on striking the right balance between value
and check performance.”





Addressing
the remainder of the year, Carley commented, “Despite the sizeable challenges
posed by the current economy, our entire system is keenly focused on turning
this difficult time into a defining chapter for our brand by delivering
exceptional guest service and introducing flavorful new menu items and value
driven promotions that resonate with consumers seeking value and fresh,
healthful food for themselves and their families during these tough economic
times.”





El Pollo
Loco’s restaurant count changes for the 26 weeks ended June 30, 2009 are as
follows:





Company
              Stores
            
            
            Franchised
              Stores
            
            
            TotalDecember
      31, 2008
            
            
            165
            
            
            
            248
            
            
            
            413Q1-
      Opened
            
            
            1
            
            
            
            3
            
            
            
            4Q1-
      Closed
            
            
            -
            
            
            
            -
            
            
            
            -At
      March 31, 2009
            
            
            166
            
            
            
            251
            
            
            
            417Q2-
      Opened
            
            
            1
            
            
            
            1
            
            
            
            2Q2-
      Closed
            
            
            -
            
            
            
            2
            
            
            
            2At
      June 30, 2009
            
            
            167
            
            
            
            250
            
            
            
            417





Addressing
the Company’s growth, Mr. Carley said, “We expect modest new restaurant growth
in 2009, due in part to the difficulty franchisees have in obtaining financing
in this challenging economy and the impact the economic crisis has had on our
franchisees, several of whom have delayed or reduced the number of new
restaurants they plan to open.  Despite these challenges, the Company
and our franchisees opened four new restaurants in the first quarter, two
restaurants in the second quarter, and one additional restaurant following the
close of the second quarter giving us a total of seven new restaurants that have
opened year to date.”





Included
in the group of newly opened El Pollo Loco locations are two restaurants in
California, one in Nevada, one in Illinois, and the first El Pollo Loco
restaurants in the states of New Jersey and Missouri.


The
Company plans to open four company-owned locations in 2009 and expects that its
franchisees will open approximately eight franchised locations.





4




System-wide
Sales




Included
above is system-wide same-store sales information. System-wide sales are a
financial measure that includes sales at all company-owned stores and
franchise-owned stores, as reported by franchisees. Management uses system-wide
sales information internally in connection with store development decisions,
planning and budgeting analyses. Management believes system-wide sales
information is useful in assessing consumer acceptance of the Company’s brand
and facilitates an understanding of financial performance as the Company’s
franchisees pay royalties and contribute to advertising pools based on a
percentage of their sales.




Safe Harbor
Statement




This news
release contains forward-looking statements, which are statements that do not
relate solely to historical fact.  They include, but are not limited
to, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results,
performance, achievements or events.  They may contain words such as
“believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,”
“will,” “should,” “may,” “could” or words or phrases of similar
meaning.  The statements reflect management's current expectations
regarding future events.  Factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements include the adverse impact of economic conditions on our operating
results and financial condition, on our ability to comply with our debt
covenants and on our ability to refinance our existing debt or to obtain
additional financing; our substantial level of indebtedness; food-borne-illness
incidents; negative publicity, whether or not valid; increases in the cost of
chicken;  our dependence upon frequent deliveries of food and other
supplies; our vulnerability to changes in consumer preferences and economic
conditions; our sensitivity to events and conditions in the greater Los Angeles
area, our largest market; our ability to compete successfully with other quick
service and fast casual restaurants; our ability to expand into new markets; our
reliance on our franchisees, who have also been adversely impacted by the
economic crisis; matters relating to labor laws and the adverse impact of
related litigation, including wage and hour class actions; our ability to
support our expanding franchise system; our ability to renew leases at the end
of their term; the impact of applicable federal, state or local government
regulations; our ability to protect our name and logo and other proprietary
information; litigation we face in connection with our operations; and other
risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.  Statements about the Company’s
past performance are not necessarily indicative of its future
results.  The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as the result of new information,
future events or otherwise.




5




About the
Company





El Pollo
Loco® is the nation’s leading restaurant concept specializing in flame-grilled
chicken.  Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, El Pollo Loco, Inc.
operates a restaurant system comprised of 167 company-operated and 250
franchised restaurants (as of June 30, 2009) located primarily in California,
with additional restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Utah and
Virginia.  El Pollo Loco’s menu features the Company’s signature
citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken in individual and family-size meals,
along with a variety of contemporary, Mexican-inspired entrees.  Such
entrees contain the Company’s signature chicken as the central ingredient and
include Pollo Bowl® entrees, pollo salads, signature grilled burritos, tacos,
and chicken tortilla soup.  Chicken meals are served with a choice of
corn or flour tortillas, freshly-prepared salsas and an assortment of side
orders.  For more information about the Company, visit
www.elpolloloco.com.




Contacts:
              Gary
      Campanaro
              Julie
      WeeksChief
      Financial Office
              Vice
      President of Communications
 El
      Pollo Loco, Inc.
              El
      Pollo Loco, Inc.
 714.599.5155
              714.599.5150gcampanaro@elpolloloco.com
              jweeks@elpolloloco.com


6




Summary Financial
Information




EPL INTERMEDIATE,
INC.
 (A Wholly Owned
Subsidiary of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.)
  CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
 (Amounts in thousands)13
      Weeks Ended June 30,
                
                
                26
      Weeks Ended June 30,2008
                
                
                2009
                
                
                2008
                
                
                2009OPERATING REVENUE:Restaurant
      revenue
                
                $
                70,827
                
                
                $
                67,779
                
                
                $
                137,153
                
                
                $
                133,704Franchise
      revenue
                
                
                5,560
                
                
                
                4,885
                
                
                
                10,412
                
                
                
                9,593Total
      operating revenue
                
                
                76,387
                
                
                
                72,664
                
                
                
                147,565
                
                
                
                143,297OPERATING
      EXPENSES:
                  Product
      cost
                
                
                22,643
                
                
                
                22,199
                
                
                
                44,237
                
                
                
                43,160Payroll
      and benefits
                
                
                18,459
                
                
                
                18,082
                
                
                
                36,143
                
                
                
                35,770Depreciation
      and amortization
                
                
                3,106
                
                
                
                2,806
                
                
                
                6,091
                
                
                
                5,636Other
      operating expenses
                
                
                35,200
                
                
                
                25,437
                
                
                
                57,667
                
                
                
                50,546Total
      operating expenses
                
                
                79,408
                
                
                
                68,524
                
                
                
                144,138
                
                
                
                135,112OPERATING
      INCOME (LOSS)
                
                
                (3,021
                )
                
                
                4,140
                
                
                
                3,427
                
                
                
                8,185INTEREST
      EXPENSE---Net
                
                
                6,445
                
                
                
                8,382
                
                
                
                13,617
                
                
                
                14,426OTHER
      EXPENSE
                
                
                -
                
                
                
                646
                
                
                
                -
                
                
                
                443OTHER
      INCOME
                
                
                -
                
                
                
                -
                
                
                
                -
                
                
                
                (452
                )LOSS
      BEFORE PROVISIONFOR
      INCOME TAXES
                
                
                (9,466
                )
                
                
                (4,888
                )
                
                
                (10,190
                )
                
                
                (6,232
                )PROVISION
      (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES
                
                
                (3,880
                )
                
                
                22,356
                
                
                
                (4,148
                )
                
                
                22,289NET
      LOSS
                
                $
                (5,586
                )
                
                $
                (27,244
                )
                
                $
                (6,042
                )
                
                $
                (28,521
                )


7




13
      Weeks Ended
              
              
              26
      Weeks EndedJune
      30,
              
              
              June
      30,2008
              
              
              2009
              
              
              2008
              
              
              2009Operating
      Statement Data:Restaurant
      revenue
              
              
              100.0
              %
              
              
              100.0
              %
              
              
              100.0
              %
              
              
              100.0
              %Product
      cost
              
              
              32.0
              
              
              
              32.8
              
              
              
              32.3
              
              
              
              32.3Payroll
      and benefits
              
              
              26.1
              
              
              
              26.7
              
              
              
              26.4
              
              
              
              26.8Depreciation
      and amortization
              
              
              4.4
              
              
              
              4.1
              
              
              
              4.4
              
              
              
              4.2Other
      operating expenses
              
              
              49.7
              
              
              
              37.5
              
              
              
              42.0
              
              
              
              37.8Operating
      income (loss)
              
              
              (4.3
              )
              
              
              6.1
              
              
              
              2.5
              
              
              
              6.1Interest
      expense-net
              
              
              9.1
              
              
              
              12.4
              
              
              
              9.9
              
              
              
              10.8Other
      expense
              
              
              0.0
              
              
              
              1.0
              
              
              
              0.0
              
              
              
              0.3Other
      income
              
              
              0.0
              
              
              
              0.0
              
              
              
              0.0
              
              
              
              (0.3
              )Loss
      before provision for income taxes
              
              
              (13.4
              )
              
              
              (7.2
              )
              
              
              (7.4
              )
              
              
              (4.7
              )Provision
      (benefit) for income taxes
              
              
              (5.5
              )
              
              
              33.0
              
              
              
              (3.0
              )
              
              
              16.7Net
      loss
              
              
              (7.9
              )
              
              
              (40.2
              )
              
              
              (4.4
              )
              
              
              (21.3
              )Supplementary
      Operating Statement Data:Restaurant
      other operating expense
              
              
              22.6
              
              
              
              23.5
              
              
              
              22.4
              
              
              
              23.1Franchise
      expense
              
              
              1.5
              
              
              
              1.4
              
              
              
              1.4
              
              
              
              1.5General
      and administrative expense
              
              
              25.6
              
              
              
              12.6
              
              
              
              18.2
              
              
              
              13.2Total
      other operating expenses
              
              
              49.7
              
              
              
              37.5
              
              
              
              42.0
              
              
              
              37.8




8