El
Pollo Loco Inc. has named Stephen
E. Carley to the position of president and chief executive
officer of El Pollo Loco. Carley assumes his new role immediately.
Carley brings to El Pollo Loco a broad range of leadership
experiences and more than 20 years of marketing and
operations expertise in several dynamic business
environments. Most recently, Carley was president of
PhotoPoint Corp., the leader in online consumer digital
photography. From 1996 to 1998, Carley was president and
chief operating officer of Universal City Hollywood where he
directed all aspects of the world’s number one motion
picture and television-themed attraction. His impact is
evident across many aspects of that business, most notably
in the development and launch of the attraction “Terminator
2, 3-D” and the expansion of Citywalk.
Carley has extensive experience in the quick-service
restaurant industry. During his 12 years at PepsiCo in the
1980s and 1990s, Carley served in various areas of both
PepsiCo and Taco Bell Corp. As vice president of
development for Taco Bell, he achieved significant
improvements in new unit performance through enhanced
site selection and aggressive cost optimization. Other
positions Carley held within Taco Bell include vice president
of operations and vice president of field marketing. At
PepsiCo International, he served as director of operations
for the Arabian Gulf and director of marketing for the
Mid-East region.
“Steve is a strong and influential brand leader with a
proven track record,” said David Horing, chairman of the
board of El Pollo Loco and managing director of American
Securities Capital Partners, L.P. “He has a strong grasp of
the quick-service restaurant industry and substantial
experience driving profitable growth for both companies and
their franchisees. His commitment to excellence, focus on
the customer, and collaborative leadership style will inspire
our employees and franchisees to continue their
commitment to exceptional guest service and operational
excellence.”
El Pollo Loco has enjoyed two consecutive years of
industry leading sales growth. Same store sales growth for
1999 and 2000 was 7.5% and 7.3%, respectively. This
momentum continues in 2001 with year-to-date same-store sales growth through March
at 7.7%.
“El Pollo Loco has always provided guests great food and terrific value, and its
exceptionally strong performance in the quick-service restaurant industry over the last
couple of years is a testament to a great management team and committed franchisees. It
is a vibrant, healthy brand with a strong focus on the customer and highly distinguished
products that appeal to virtually everyone,” said Carley. “I am very excited about leading
the employees and franchisees of El Pollo Loco in their relentless commitment to
consistently deliver an outstanding experience to our guests.”
Carley, 48, will be based at El Pollo Loco’s headquarters in Irvine. He resides in Los
Angeles with his wife, Lois, and two sons, Mike and B.J. Carley holds a master’s degree
with a concentration in marketing from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree
“with high distinction” in finance from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Ill.
