El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. announced that Laurance Roberts is leaving his position as President and Director after more than 10 years at the Company. To ensure a smooth transition, Mr. Roberts will continue to provide consulting services to the Company through December 28, 2023. The Board has engaged a nationally recognized executive search firm to identify a new Chief Executive Officer.

While this process continues, Maria Hollandsworth, El Pollo Loco?s Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of Interim President and CEO. Her appointment will help facilitate a seamless leadership transition until a new CEO is appointed. Before joining El Pollo Loco in November 2022, Ms. Hollandsworth was the Regional Vice President of Operations for Dunkin?, a division of multi-brand restaurant company Inspire Brands, Inc. During her tenure, she worked closely with Dunkin?

franchisees to establish and execute a strategic market plan. She also led the leadership team in building strong relationships with franchisee leaders and increasing profitability through a culture of trust, respect, and improved guest satisfaction. Prior to Inspire, Ms. Hollandsworth worked for over 20 years at Jack in the Box, most recently serving as the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Operations Services from 2013 to 2018, where she successfully executed the creation and implementation of enterprise-wide strategic initiatives across over 2,000 restaurants.

Prior to this role, Ms. Hollandsworth held leadership roles in both company and franchise operations at Jack in the Box.