UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DCD.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 orOR 15(d) of ~~the~~ The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

~~Securities Exchange Act of 1934~~

Date of ~~report~~Report (Date of earliest event reported): ~~January~~ 27March 12, 2026

~~Commission File Number: 001-36556~~

ElEL ~~Pollo~~POLLO ~~Loco~~LOCO ~~Holdings~~HOLDINGS, ~~Inc~~INC.

~~(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter.)~~

Delaware		20-3563182
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

~~575 Anton Blvd Suite 1100, Costa Mesa, California 92626~~

(Address of principal executive offices)



Delaware	001-36556	20-3563182
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

~~714-599-5000~~

~~(Registrant's Telephone number)~~

Not Applicable


575 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1100, Costa Mesa, California	92626
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

~~(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)~~

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (714) 599-5000

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) ¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) ¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) ¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-2 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share		LOCO		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2)


Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	LOCO	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Rights to Purchase Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

~~Emerging growth company ¨~~

IfIndicate ~~an emerging growth company, indicate~~ by check mark ifwhether the registrant ~~has~~ ~~elected~~is ~~not~~an toemerging ~~use~~growth ~~the~~company ~~extended~~as ~~transition~~defined ~~period~~in ~~for~~Rule ~~complying~~405 ~~with~~of ~~any~~the ~~new~~Securities orAct ~~revised~~of ~~financial~~1933 ~~accounting~~(§ ~~standards~~230.405 ~~provided~~of ~~pursuant to~~this ~~Section 13(a~~chapter) or Rule 12b- 2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 ¨of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐

~~Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers~~

~~Departure~~If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of ~~Directors~~the Exchange Act. ☐

On January 27, 2026, Mark Buller provided his resignation from the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), effective as of February 28, 2026. Mr. Buller’s decision to resign was not due to any disagreement with the Company.

~~Appointment of Directors~~

On January 27, 2026, the Board, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”) of the Board, appointed Frank Garrido to serve as an independent director of the Company, effective as of March 1, 2026.

~~The~~Item ~~appointment of Mr~~2. ~~Garrido~~02 ~~fills~~Results ~~the vacancy on the Board that was created as a result~~ of ~~the~~Operations ~~departure of Mr. Buller. Upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee, the Board also appointed Mr. Garrido to serve on each of the Compensation Committee~~ and ~~Nominating~~Financial ~~and Governance Committee of the Board~~Condition.

~~Mr.~~On March ~~Garrido~~12, is2026, ~~the~~El ~~Executive~~Pollo ~~Vice~~Loco ~~President – Chief Restaurant Officer of Domino’s Pizza~~Holdings, Inc., ~~which~~(the he“Company”) ~~joined~~issued ina ~~2017.~~press Inrelease ~~his~~announcing ~~role~~certain hefinancial isresults ~~responsible~~ for ~~franchise and~~its ~~company~~fourth ~~operations,~~quarter ~~development,~~and ~~in-store~~fiscal ~~technology,~~year ~~operations~~ended ~~services~~December 31, ~~and training~~2025. ~~His~~The ~~extensive~~press ~~background~~release ~~across~~is ~~operations and~~attached ~~restaurant~~hereto ~~leadership~~as ~~has driven strong domestic growth for the world’s largest pizza company~~Exhibit 99.1 ~~Prior~~and tois ~~joining~~incorporated ~~Domino’s, Mr. Wright~~herein ~~held~~by ~~senior roles at Focus Brands and Edible Arrangements International~~reference.

~~Mr.~~Exhibit ~~Garrido~~99.1 ~~will~~attached ~~receive~~hereto ~~the~~shall ~~same~~not ~~compensation as~~be isdeemed ~~paid~~“filed” tofor ~~other~~purposes ~~non-employee~~of ~~directors~~Section 18 of the ~~Company~~Securities ~~and~~Exchange ~~will~~Act ~~enter~~of ~~into~~1934 an(the ~~indemnification~~“Exchange ~~agreement~~Act”) inor ~~substantially~~otherwise ~~the~~subject ~~same~~to ~~form as~~ the ~~other~~liabilities ~~non-employee directors~~ of ~~the~~that ~~Company.~~section ~~Mr. Garrido~~and isshall not ~~party~~be toincorporated ~~any~~by ~~transaction~~reference ~~that~~into ~~would~~any ~~require~~filing ~~disclosure~~of ~~pursuant to~~the ~~Item~~Company ~~404(a) of~~under ~~Regulation~~the ~~S-K.~~Securities ~~There~~Act ~~are~~of no1933 ~~arrangements~~ or ~~understandings~~the ~~between~~Exchange ~~Mr. Garrido~~Act, ~~and~~regardless of any ~~other~~general ~~person~~incorporation ~~pursuant to~~language ~~which~~in hesuch ~~was~~filing, ~~elected~~except as ashall ~~director~~be ofexpressly ~~the~~set ~~Company~~forth by specific reference in any such filing.

~~Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure~~

On January 28, 2026, the Company issued a press release entitled “El Pollo Loco Appoints Frank Garrido to Board of Directors,” a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Press release dated January 28, 2026
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit Number		Description
99.1		Earnings press release, dated March 12, 2026
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
Date: January 28, 2026	By:	/s/ Ira Fils
		Name:	Ira Fils
		Title:	Chief Financial Officer

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

(Registrant)

Date: March 12, 2026

Interim Chief Executive Officer and

/s/ Ira Fils

Ira Fils

Chief Financial Officer

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