Crews broke ground on a new El Pollo Loco restaurant at 1115 Telfair Drive in Weslaco on September 21, with the $1.5 million project expected to be finished by December 1. The 2,954-square-foot building will seat up to 88 people and come with a 41-space parking lot, including two accessible spots.
The project details come from rgv.me, which reported the ground-up construction of the one-story restaurant building is part of El Pollo Loco's push to grow its footprint in the Rio Grande Valley. The chain is known for its fire-grilled chicken and Mexican-inspired menu, according to the same report.
Part of a Bigger Texas Push
The Weslaco build fits into a much larger expansion effort. El Pollo Loco's Texas presence had grown to 34 restaurants by June 30, according to a release from El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., which also reported the company now operates more than 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants across 10 states. The Costa Mesa, California-based chain, as described by the Los Angeles Times, has been on a tear well beyond its home state.
The company's development plans for 2026 call for opening 18 to 20 new restaurants systemwide, per the same investor release. That mirrors reporting from QSR Magazine, which detailed a plan including three to four company-operated units and 15 to 16 franchised locations, alongside a systemwide comparable sales increase of 3.9 percent in the second quarter.
Growth Stretching From El Paso to Queens
El Pollo Loco has said its 2026 development pace will run nearly double that of 2025, with the vast majority of new restaurants landing outside California, according to the investor release. QSR Magazine's report adds that the chain is eyeing expansion beyond its traditional Western and Southern footprint amid what it described as nationwide interest from prospective franchisees.
That broader push is already visible on the map. The Los Angeles Times reported new locations are coming to El Paso, Albuquerque, Dallas and Denver, while the chain is also in talks on potential franchise partnerships in the Midwest and Northeast. In El Paso specifically, the El Paso Times reported the chain is returning to the city with a restaurant being built inside a former KFC at 1441 Airway Boulevard, next to Concourse Plaza.
Further afield, El Pollo Loco has inked its first lease in Queens, New York, as part of three development agreements covering 15 restaurants over the next five years, according to FER Magazine. That outlet reported the Queens location is expected to open in mid-2027, a timeline that underscores just how early some of these markets are in the chain's rollout compared to the Weslaco project already under construction.
Back in the Rio Grande Valley, the Weslaco build represents the latest concrete step in El Pollo Loco's stated ambition to keep expanding its reach in Texas and beyond, with the chain's own timeline pointing to doors opening in Weslaco within the next few months.
