El Pollo Loco 2015 Annual Report Download - page 13

Table of Contents
Operations
We utilize systems that are aimed at measuring our ability to deliver a “best in class” experience for our customers. These systems include
customer surveys, mystery shopper scores, and speed-of-service performance trends. The operational results from all of these sources are then
presented on an operations dashboard that displays the measures in an easy-to-read online format that corporate and restaurant-
level management
and franchisees can utilize in order to identify strengths and opportunities and to develop specific plans for continuous performance
improvement.
We measure the execution of our system standards within each restaurant through our commitment to our Quality, Service & Cleanliness
(“QSC”) audit program. QSC audits are conducted in each restaurant twice annually, or may be more frequent based upon restaurant
performance. Additionally, we have food safety and quality assurance programs designed to maintain the highest standards for the food and the
food preparation procedures that are used by both company-operated and franchised restaurants. We employ a team of quality assurance
managers and third-party auditors that perform our restaurant audits.
Managers and Team Members
Each of our restaurants typically has a general manager, an assistant manager, two to three shift leaders, and two team leaders. There are between
15 and 35 team members who prepare our food fresh daily and provide customer service. To lead our restaurant management teams, we have
area leaders, each of whom is responsible for eight to 12 restaurants. Overseeing the area leaders are three directors of operations. The vice
president of operations leads our company-operated restaurants, managing both sales and profitability targets.
We are selective in our hiring processes, aiming to staff our restaurants with team members who are friendly, customer-focused, and driven to
provide high-quality products. We employ a unique approach to selecting future team members. Our team members are cross-trained in several
disciplines to maximize depth of competency and efficiency in critical restaurant functions. Our focus on hiring the best possible employees has
enabled us to develop a culture that breeds loyalty throughout our employee base. Many team members and managers have been employed by us
for longer than 15 years, and it is not rare to identify team members with more than 20 years of seniority.
Training
We believe that we have created a culture of constant learning. On the first day of employment, team members are introduced to our Standards
and Procedures Educational Card System (“SPECS”) training program, which is a comprehensive training program developed to lead team
members through the training process in easy to use, function-based, educational card modules. Each team member can learn at his or her own
pace, focusing on the modules that apply to his or her initial role on the restaurant team.
The vast majority of our restaurant management staff is comprised of former team members who have advanced along the El Pollo Loco five-
tier
career path. Skilled team members who display leadership qualities are encouraged to enter the team leader training program. Successive steps
along the management path add increasing levels of duty and responsibility. Each stage in the management path requires increased training
periods, culminating in the general manager training process, which is comprised of seven weeks of intensive classroom and hands-
on training in
a certified training restaurant.
Grill Masters
Our reputation is built on our signature product—fired-grilled chicken marinated in citrus and garlic—which is grilled and hand-cut to order by
our Grill Masters. Accordingly, we staff each of our restaurants with three to four highly-trained Grill Masters who share our commitment to
high-quality food. We provide each Grill Master with intensive grilling training, and place them in our open kitchens, where our customers can
watch them create our signature products.
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