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El Pollo Loco HoldingsLOCO -0.36%65 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.52 as of Mar. 2026, which is 20% below its 10-year median of 4.39. GuruFocus rates LOCO with a GF Score™ of 65/100 and a GF Value™ of $11.66 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 301 Restaurants companies, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks worse than 61.46% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
LOCO'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.61 Med: 4.39 Max: 5.62
Current: 3.78
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of El Pollo Loco Holdings was 5.62. The lowest was 1.61. And the median was 4.39.
LOCO's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 61.46% of 301
companies
in the Restaurants industry
Industry Median: 2.91
vs LOCO: 3.78
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
El Pollo Loco Holdings Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
LOCO vs KRUS, DIN, NATH: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Restaurants subindustry, El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Debt-to-EBITDA vs Restaurants Industry
For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.52 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings. This is 20% below median its historical median of 4.39. Over the past decade, El Pollo Loco Holdings' Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.61 to 5.62. According to the industry distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #185 out of 301 companies in the Restaurants industry, placing it in the top 61.5%.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
El Pollo Loco Holdings' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.52 is 20% below median its 10-year median of 4.39. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.61 to a high of 5.62. The Restaurants industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.91. El Pollo Loco Holdings' value of 3.52 is 21% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #185 out of 301 companies in the Restaurants industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, El Pollo Loco Holdings has a GF Score™ of 65/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does El Pollo Loco Holdings' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to KRUS and DIN?
According to the Restaurants industry distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #185 out of 301 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places El Pollo Loco Holdings in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.91. El Pollo Loco Holdings' value of 3.52 is 21% above this benchmark. Historically, El Pollo Loco Holdings' own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.61 to 5.62 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.39 vs. the industry median of 2.91, El Pollo Loco Holdings has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Restaurants company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Restaurants companies is 2.91, based on 301 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.52 is 21% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings. For the Restaurants industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.91 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.52, which is 20% below median its own 10-year median of 4.39. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $11.66, compared to a current price of $16.47 — trading 41.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.52, which is 20% below median its 10-year median of 4.39 and 21% above the Restaurants industry median of 2.91. El Pollo Loco Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.52 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, El Pollo Loco Holdings stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $16.47 is trading 41.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $11.66.
GuruFocus considers El Pollo Loco Holdings to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LOCO:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.52 (20% below median its 10-year median of 4.39)
GF Value™: $11.66 vs. price of $16.47 (41.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 21% above the Restaurants median (#185 of 301)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LOCO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc operates and franchises hundreds of fast-casual chicken restaurants in the United States. It specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken and operates in the limited service restaurant market segment. Its offerings include Mexican-inspired menu items, including burritos, tostadas, bowls, salads, and bone-in chicken meals in various portion sizes. It also offers citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken, along with a range of salsas and dressings that allow customers to customize their meals. The company operates in one operating segment. The majority of the company's revenue is derived from company-operated restaurant revenue.
65GF Score
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Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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