Exhibit
      99.1




**EPL
      Intermediate, Inc. Announces Results for the**


**Fourth
      Quarter and Year Ended December 26, 2007**





COSTA
      MESA, CA.-- (BUSINESS WIRE) - March 20, 2008 - EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“El Pollo
      Loco” or the “Company”), parent company of El Pollo Loco, Inc., today reported
      results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 26, 2007. For purposes
      of
      simplicity, the Company has described the 13-week fourth quarters and fiscal
      year ended December 26, 2007 and December 27, 2006 as December 31, 2007 and
      December 31, 2006, respectively.





El
      Pollo
      Loco reported operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2007 of $279.0
      million, which is an increase of $19.1 million, or 7.4%, over operating revenues
      for the year ended December 31, 2006 of $259.9 million. Operating revenues
      include both sales at company-owned stores and franchise revenues. Increases
      in
      company-operated restaurant revenue are attributed to growth in new
      company-operated restaurants and increases in same store sales. Same-store
      sales
      for the system (includes both company and franchise locations) increased 2.7%
      in
      2007. Restaurants enter the comparable restaurant base for same-store sales
      the
      first full week after that restaurant’s 15-month anniversary.





Changes
      in operating expenses in 2007 include:





·
            an
                increase in product cost of $5.0 million, or 6.7%, to $81.2 million
                for
                2007 from $76.2 million for 2006. These costs were 31.2% as a percentage
                of restaurant revenue for 2007 compared to 31.4% for 2006. The 0.2%
                decrease in 2007 resulted primarily from menu price increases taken
                in
                January 2007, offset partially by increases in commodity
                costs.





·
            an
                increase in payroll and benefit expenses of $5.9 million, or 9.6%,
                to
                $67.5 million for 2007 from $61.6 million for 2006. As a percentage
                of
                restaurant revenue, these costs increased 0.6% to 26.0% for 2007
                from
                25.4% for 2006. This increase is primarily attributed to the California
                minimum wage increase effective January 1, 2007 and higher spending
                during
                the year on manager training.




·
            a
                0.6% increase in restaurant other operating expense (includes utilities,
                repair and maintenance, advertising, property taxes, occupancy and
                other
                operating expenses) as a percentage of restaurant revenue, resulting
                primarily from a 0.4% increase in occupancy costs as a percentage
                of
                revenue and increased advertising expense of 0.2% as a percentage
                of
                revenue.





·
            an
                increase in general and administrative expenses of $3.4 million,
                or 12.6%,
                to $30.2 million for 2007 from $26.8 million in 2006. This increase
                is
                attributed to: a $2.6 million non-cash loss recognized in the 2007
                period
                from the sale of eight company restaurants that did not occur in
                the 2006
                period; increased legal fees of $1.5 million in the 2007 period;
                a $0.8
                million increase in salary and fringe expense, primarily due to increased
                headcount; and an increase of $0.3 million in stock option expense,
                partially offset by $1.8 million in IPO-related expenses in fiscal
                2006
                that did not recur in 2007.










Operating
      income decreased $2.3 million, or 7.5%, to $28.2 million for 2007 from $30.5
      million for 2006 due to the factors described above.





Interest
      expense, net of interest income, increased $0.4 million, or 1.2%, to $29.2
      million in 2007 from $28.8 million in 2006.





Our
      provision for income taxes consisted of income tax expense of $3.1 million
      in
      2007 compared to $1.1 million in 2006.





There
      was
      a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2007 of $4.0 million, or (1.6%)
      as a
      percentage of restaurant revenue, compared to net income of $0.6 million, or
      0.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2006.





Commenting
      on the fiscal 2007 results, Stephen E. Carley, president and CEO of El Pollo
      Loco, Inc. said, “We are pleased to deliver positive system-wide same-store
      sales growth for the eighth consecutive year. Our growth in 2007 is particularly
      noteworthy given our comparison against strong early 2006 sales growth numbers
      and a challenging economic environment that drew intense QSR competition
      throughout the year.”





“We
      expect 2008 to be even more challenging than last year with a continuation
      of
      the general softness in sales we have seen,” said Carley. “Consumers continue to
      feel the pressure of higher gasoline costs, declining home values and the
      possibility of a recession, while restaurant companies face dramatic, even
      record, increases in commodity costs. We believe there is a significant risk
      of
      rising feedstock costs adversely affecting the cost of chicken and other
      ingredients. In addition, we have experienced increased labor costs due to
      increases in the California minimum wage, and the federal minimum wage will
      increase in July 2008 and further in 2009. In early 2008, we implemented menu
      price increases to partially offset these cost increases, but if inflationary
      pressures require more aggressive menu price increases to protect margins,
      check
      average and restaurant traffic could be at risk.”





Carley
      added, “Despite the tentative outlook for the
      U.S. economy in
      2008,
      we are prepared to weather the storm, both with promotions designed to deliver
      the price-value
      equation that has become increasingly important to consumers and with new
      products that feature our signature citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken
      and
      tap into our guests’ demand for fresh, flavorful food on the go.”





Addressing
      the Company’s expansion, Mr. Carley said, “We continued our restaurant growth in
      2007, opening 30 restaurants; 11 are company-owned and 19 are franchised
      locations. The latter includes five new restaurants in Georgia and our first
      El
      Pollo Loco® in Massachusetts.”











El
      Pollo
      Loco’s restaurant count changes for 2007 are as follows:




Company
              
              Franchised
                  Stores
              
              TotalDecember
                  31, 2006
              
              
              151
              
              
              208
              
              
              359Opened
              
              
              11
              
              
              19
              
              
              30Purchased/Transferred
                  from franchisees
              
              
              5
              
              
              (5
              )Sold
                  to franchisees
              
              
              (8
              )
              
              8Closed
              
              
              -
              
              
              -
              
              
              -December
                  31, 2007
              
              
              159
              
              
              230
              
              
              389




In
      2008,
      the Company plans to increase its penetration in existing markets (primarily
      greater Los Angeles and Las Vegas), while developing certain new markets through
      a combination of company store growth and development agreements with
      experienced franchise operators. El Pollo Loco plans to open approximately
      10
      company owned restaurants and approximately 40 franchised restaurants in 2008.





In
      December of 2007, the Company announced that Freeman Spogli & Co., a leading
      private equity investment firm, had made a $45,000,000 equity investment in
      our
      parent company. The additional liquidity provided by that investment will be
      used by El Pollo Loco for general corporate purposes and to accelerate company
      restaurant growth outside its core markets-- in Chicago and other markets
      currently under evaluation. In January 2008, we repurchased $7.8 million of
      outstanding 14.5% senior discount notes due 2014.





In
      addition to company expansion, El Pollo Loco will continue to partner with
      experienced franchise restaurant operators to further build its national
      presence. As of December 31, 2007, the Company had signed development agreements
      with experienced franchise operators to open over 200 restaurants in regions
      of
      California, Arizona, Illinois, the six states comprising New England, Missouri,
      Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Utah, Washington, Oregon,
      Florida, New York and New Jersey. The restaurants are scheduled to open at
      various dates through 2016.





Operating
      revenues for the fourth quarter of 2007 totaled $70.2 million, which is an
      increase of $5.6 million, or 8.7%, over operating revenues of $64.6 million
      for
      the fourth quarter of 2006. Same-store sales for the system (includes both
      company and franchise locations) increased 3.0% in the fourth quarter of 2007.





Operating
      income for the fourth quarter of 2007 was $5.6 million, an increase of $0.4
      million, or 8.3%, from operating income of $5.2 million in the fourth quarter
      of
      2006.





There
      was
      a net loss for the fourth quarter of 2007 of $1.6 million compared with a net
      loss of $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.




**System-wide
      Sales**




Included
      above are franchise and 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. Risk factors
      that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in
      the
      forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, concerns about
      food-borne illnesses; negative publicity, whether or not valid; adverse public
      perception due to the occurrence of avian flu; increases in the cost of chicken;
      an adverse ruling in litigation involving El Pollo Loco-Mexico which could
      result in the imposition of significant monetary damages and loss of rights
      to
      the trademarks in Mexico; our dependence upon frequent deliveries of food and
      other supplies; our sensitivity to events and conditions in the greater Los
      Angeles area; our reliance in part on our franchisees; our vulnerability to
      changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions; our ability to compete
      successfully with other quick service and fast casual restaurants; 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.





**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 159 company-operated and 230 franchised
      restaurants (as of December 31, 2007) located primarily in California, with
      additional restaurants in Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia,
      Connecticut, and Massachusetts. 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 containing
      the company’s signature chicken as the central ingredient, including its
      specialty Pollo Bowl® entrees, pollo salads, signature grilled burritos, tacos,
      quesadillas, Grilled Chicken Nachos, 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:
              Joe
                  Stein
              Julie
                  WeeksChief
                  Financial Officer
              Vice
                  President of CommunicationsEl
                  Pollo Loco, Inc.
              El
                  Pollo Loco, Inc.714.599.5155
              714.599.5150jstein@elpolloloco.com
              jweeks@elpolloloco.com














**Summary
      Financial Information**





In
      the
      following summary consolidated financial information, the Company refers to
      itself as the Predecessor for all periods prior to the November 18, 2005
      acquisition of our parent company by affiliates of Trimaran Capital, LLC, and
      the Successor for all periods subsequent to the acquisition.




**EPL
                  INTERMEDIATE, INC.****(A
                  Wholly Owned Subsidiary of El Pollo Loco Holdings,
                  Inc.)****CONSOLIDATED
                  STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS****(Amounts
                  in thousands)**
 
 **Predecessor**
              
              **Successor****December
                  30, 2004**
              
              **November
                  18 to****to
                  November 17,**
              
              **December
                  28,**
              
              **December
                  27,**
              
              **December
                  26,****2005**
              
              **2005**
              
              **2006**
              
              **2007**OPERATING
                  REVENUE:Restaurant
                  revenue
              
              $
              197,267
              
              $
              24,527
              
              $
              242,571
              
              $
              259,987Franchise
                  revenue
              
              
              13,661
              
              
              1,742
              
              
              17,317
              
              
              19,038Total
                  operating revenue
              
              
              210,928
              
              
              26,269
              
              
              259,888
              
              
              279,025OPERATING
                  EXPENSES:Product
                  cost
              
              
              62,638
              
              
              7,958
              
              
              76,151
              
              
              81,233Payroll
                  and benefits
              
              
              50,325
              
              
              6,746
              
              
              61,601
              
              
              67,545Depreciation
                  and amortization
              
              
              12,743
              
              
              1,203
              
              
              10,333
              
              
              11,947Other
                  operating expenses
              
              
              65,340
              
              
              7,958
              
              
              81,281
              
              
              90,074Total
                  operating expenses
              
              
              191,046
              
              
              23,865
              
              
              229,366
              
              
              250,799OPERATING
                  INCOME
              
              
              19,882
              
              
              2,404
              
              
              30,522
              
              
              28,226INTEREST
                  EXPENSE--Net of interestincome
                  of $369, $0, $413 and $384 for theperiods
                  ended November 17, 2005,December
                  28, 2005, December 27, 2006and
                  December 26, 2007 respectively
              
              
              38,726
              
              
              3,385
              
              
              28,813
              
              
              29,167INCOME
                  (LOSS) BEFORE PROVISIONFOR
                  INCOME TAXES
              
              
              (18,844
              )
              
              (981
              )
              
              1,709
              
              
              (941
              )PROVISION
                  (BENEFIT) FOR INCOME TAXES
              
              
              (7,651
              )
              
              (393
              )
              
              1,072
              
              
              3,093NET
                  INCOME (LOSS)
              
              $
              (11,193
              )
              $
              (588
              )
              $
              637
              
              $
              (4,034
              )






**Fiscal
                Years****2005**
            
            **2006**
            
            **2007****Income
                Statement Data:**Restaurant
                revenue
            
            
            100.0
            %
            
            100.0
            %
            
            100.0
            %Product
                cost
            
            
            31.8
            
            
            31.4
            
            
            31.2Payroll
                and benefits
            
            
            25.7
            
            
            25.4
            
            
            26.0Depreciation
                and amortization
            
            
            6.3
            
            
            4.3
            
            
            4.6Other
                operating expenses
            
            
            33.0
            
            
            33.5
            
            
            34.6Operating
                income
            
            
            10.0
            
            
            12.6
            
            
            10.9Interest
                expense
            
            
            19.0
            
            
            11.9
            
            
            11.2Income
                (loss) before income taxes
            
            
            (8.9
            )
            
            0.7
            
            
            (0.4
            )Net
                income (loss)
            
            
            (5.3
            )
            
            0.3
            
            
            (1.6
            )**Supplementary
                Income Statement Data:**Restaurant
                other operating expense
            
            
            19.3
            
            
            21.0
            
            
            21.6Franchise
                expense
            
            
            1.4
            
            
            1.4
            
            
            1.4General
                and administrative expense
            
            
            12.3
            
            
            11.1
            
            
            11.6Total
                other operating expenses
            
            
            33.0
            
            
            33.5
            
            
            34.6