In ‘great news' for Californians, chain plans two restaurants in Boise area
Boise's transformation into California restaurant-chain paradise shows no sign of slowing.
With In-N-Out Burger fully entrenched in the area, and Wienerschnitzel having arrived, another Golden State brand is on the way.
El Pollo Loco, which recently submitted a pre-application request with the city of Meridian to open a 2,000-square-foot restaurant at 3471 W. Chinden Blvd. (near the intersection with Ten Mile Road), now has plans for Nampa, too.
The Mexican-style brand has leased 'over half an acre of land at Northside Boulevard and Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard,' according to a press release from Summit Commercial Real Estate Group. The address is 95 2nd St. South.
Known for its 'famous citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken,' El Pollo Loco's Idaho moves are exciting transplants from California.
When a Boise radio station posted about the Nampa lease on Facebook, enthusiastic online responses followed. In a comment that received 27 reactions, one person declared, 'I'm from California and this is great news!'
'Don't toy with me!!!' another commenter wrote. 'Their avocado salsa is insane!!! So good!!!'
A 'SoCal staple,' as the chain refers to itself, El Pollo Loco was founded in 1974 — in Mexico. It now has more than 495 locations in seven states: California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Louisiana, according to a press release.
If you've eaten at Fiesta Chicken — a similar local concept in Boise — you already have a grasp of El Pollo Loco's bird-focused menu. The chain serves delicious, if not addictive, chicken — in tacos, burritos, tostadas, salads, bowls and meals.
A real-estate listing indicates the Nampa restaurant is 'opening soon,' but a publicist for El Pollo Loco did not immediately respond with information about a target date. In April, Tim Welsh, El Pollo Loco's chief development officer, provided a prepared statement about the Meridian store.
'We've been working with a franchise partner to bring El Pollo Loco's signature, fire-grilled chicken to the Boise area,' he said. 'We're excited to have identified a location and are optimistic we will have our entitlements approved in the coming months. While we don't yet have an opening date for this restaurant, we look forward to being part of the Meridian community in the near future.'
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