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Table of Contents ( Mark one ) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( D ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Delaware State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization FORM 10 - K 0 TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( D ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from Commission file number 001-36556 3535 Harbor Blvd. , Suite 100 , Costa Mesa , California ( Address of principal executive offices ) For the fiscal year ended December 30 , 2020 or EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Title of each class Common Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share to ( 714 ) 599-5000 Registrant's telephone number , including area code Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) . LOCO Securities registered pursuant to section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None ( Title of class ) No No 20-3563182 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) 92626 ( Zip Code ) Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( § 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer 0 0 Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company 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 the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Act ) . Yes No As of June 24 , 2020 , the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter , the aggregate market value of the registrant's common equity held by non - affiliates was approximately $ 269 million , deeming purely for purposes of this calculation all directors and executive officers and Trimaran Pollo Partners , L.L.C. to be affiliates . The determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purpose . As of March 5 , 2021 , there were 36,460,083 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Part III hereof incorporates by reference certain portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the registrant's 2020 fiscal year .