El Pollo Loco's chief marketing officer, Hector Muñoz, has exited the quick-service chicken chain, the company announced Tuesday.
On the job for less than two years, he left March 18 “to pursue other opportunities.”
The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company said CEO Bernard Acoca will lead the marketing team until a successor is named. Muñoz, a former executive at Church’s Chicken and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, came to El Pollo Loco in December 2018. He replaced Ed Valle, who left after seven years with the chain.
Under Muñoz, El Pollo Loco revamped its logo and launched its L.A. Mex marketing campaign. The strategy was aimed at emphasizing the company’s Los Angeles roots.
El Pollo Loco and its franchisees have more than 480 restaurants. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the chain has moved to a to-go model with ordering available through the drive thru, delivery or carryout. Participating restaurants are offering free delivery on Grubhub orders made March 25 to April 7.
“Given the recent world events, we wanted to work together with Grubhub to make our food even more accessible and convenient to our customers since we’re all going to be home a little more,” Acoca said in a statement. “We are here for our communities and are dedicated to making the delivery experience as seamless and secure as possible during this time to make it easier for customers to take care of themselves and their families.”
Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @fastfoodmaven
