At El Pollo Loco, the logo is made in the national style – in red and yellow colors of a very bright palette. It carries a double meaning: it indicates the hot country of origin of the franchised fast food restaurant chain (Mexico) and the main ingredient of the menu (grilled chicken). At the top, the emblem has the shape of a wide-brimmed hat.
El Pollo Loco: Brand overview
Founded: | December 8, 1980 |
Founder: | Juan Francisco Ochoa |
Headquarters: |
Costa Mesa, California, U.S. |
Website: | elpolloloco.com |
El Pollo Loco is the name of an American chain of restaurants serving Mexican grilled chicken. Its founder is Juan Francisco Ochoa, who first opened an institution in Guasave (Sinaloa) and then in Los Angeles, California. This happened in 1980. Since then, it has grown into a taste empire with 500 food outlets. They are especially popular in the southwestern part of the United States – in Costa Mesa. Both franchised and personal restaurants are decorated in a Mexican style, directly reflected in their logo.
The fundamental principle of the American restaurant El Pollo Loco is its Mexican counterpart. It was in Mexico that a diner opened, serving grilled chicken with salsa and warm tortillas. In the first year, the institution began to bring a good income, so its owner, Juan Francisco Ochoa, conceived the transfer to a neighboring country. And he did not lose because in the new place, he began to experiment a lot with the menu, creating a safe alternative to fatty, fried meat.
Meaning and History
The experiments touched not only the cuisine but also the style to attract the American public. The result was the famous raised sign, the top of which resembles a Mexican and Texan hat.
Then there was a series of restaurant transfers from owner to owner, which also contributed significantly to the menu and the emblem. Despite the frequent adjustments to the logo, it remained similar to the Mexican version because the parent company was still managed by the Ochoa family, who retained the first version of the identity. In the early 90s of the last century, the El Pollo Loco chain tried several concepts to become noticeable among serious competitors – KFC and Chick-fil-A. In total, she has five emblems.
What is El Pollo Loco?
El Pollo Loco is a franchised chain of fast food restaurants from Mexico. It was discovered in the USA in 1980 by the Ochoa family. Her specialty is grilled chicken marinated in citrus and quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and other national dishes. The network includes about 500 points. The head office is located in Costa Mesa (California).
1980 – 2005
The logo looks like a label or label often used on products. Such an association arises from the raised top, which resembles a wide-brimmed Mexican hat. The emblem is painted neon yellow and complemented by a figure frame around the entire perimeter. In the center, there is a three-level inscription – the name of the restaurants aligned in the center. The font is bold and grotesque, with a dense arrangement of letters. They are all merged except for “EL.” The border and the text are red – the color of hot Mexican spices.
1997 – 2005
During this period, designers tilted the logo slightly and made it diagonal. They also changed the color to a warm yellow, separated the letters, and outlined them with a thin black line.
2005 – 2018
In 2005, another inscription appeared – wavy, reminiscent of a burning fire. To enhance this similarity, the designers painted flames on a yellow background and placed a chicken head at the top. They darkened the frame, and “El” was reduced and placed next to “Pollo.” Since then, the logo has used a lowercase font. At the bottom, the artists drew a purple rectangle indicating that the establishment serves Mexican chicken.
2010
In addition, there was a variant of the emblem without an advertising inscription at the bottom on a purple background.
2018 – 2019
As a result of experiments with visual identity, the El Pollo Loco logo has changed dramatically. The designers took the classic rondel as a basis – a round shape with a clear center and a strip along the edge. In general, the emblem began to resemble a seal. The colors have also been corrected: instead of bright red and yellow, a discreet palette appeared – black and brick. A realistic chicken head is drawn against their background. It is white, like the name of the restaurant chain. The inscription takes pride in place at the top of the wide ring.
2019 – today
The modern logo is an improved version of the emblems of previous years. It combines a bright yellow background, pointed letters resembling flames, a hat-like top, a three-level inscription, and a frame.
Font and Colors
El Pollo Loco has a common logo for both the Mexican chain and the American one. Of course, there are some differences, but they are insignificant because the company from the USA was under the patronage of the founders, the Ochoa family, for a long time. Therefore, despite the division, the identity has a single style. However, there was a period of cardinal experiments, which ended with a return to the previous design. Such an icon emphasizes the soul and heart of the brand – signature chicken marinated with citrus and grilled. It is inextricably linked to the identity of Mexican restaurants.
The inscription in the emblem is not printed but drawn. This is a picture: all letters are made by hand in an individual order. They are stretched up and slightly pointed to look like fire. The cult font is called El Pollo Loco. The palette is also associated with the flame – with hot spices served with grilled chicken. They also resemble citrus fruits, which are necessary for preparing a signature dish. Therefore, the predominant colors are red and yellow in several shades.
El Pollo Loco color codes
Coquelicot | Hex color: | #ec410e |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 236 65 14 | |
CMYK: | 0 72 94 7 | |
Pantone: | PMS 1655 C |
Golden Poppy | Hex color: | #fdc526 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 253 197 38 | |
CMYK: | 0 22 85 1 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7549 C |