IRVINE, Calif. — EPL Intermediate Inc., parent company of El Pollo Loco Inc., reported preliminary results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 28, 2005.
According to a release, the company is late filing the annual report because of the inability of the company, without unreasonable effort or expense, to finalize purchase accounting and tax entries related to the Nov. 18, 2005, acquisition of the company by affiliates of Trimaran Capital Partners LLC.
EPLI reported preliminary operating revenues of $237.2 million for the fiscal year ended Dec. 28, 2005, , an increase of $18.2 million, or 8.3 percent. In the comparable period, the company generated $219 million in revenue. Operating revenues include both sales at company-owned stores and franchise revenues.
Same-store sales for the system increased 8.2 percent in fiscal 2005, with company-owned restaurant same-store sales increasing 7 percent and franchise restaurant same store sales increasing 9.3 percent. In fiscal 2005, average annual unit volumes for company-owned stores open the entire year were approximately $1.6 million compared to $1.5 million in fiscal 2004.
