It’s a good time to be a chicken chain. New concepts are taking off and legacy brands, like the 50-year-old El Pollo Loco, are poised for serious growth. The fire-grilled chicken brand, currently open in eight states, is planning a larger expansion. In this episode, Jill Adams, the brand’s chief marketer, talks customer expectations, AI for better and more efficient marketing efforts, and why she’s optimistic restaurants will have a good 2026.
The Simmer Podcast—Jill Adams, Chief Marketing Officer, El Pollo Loco
Brandon Barton, CEO
Brandon is a hospitality tech entrepreneur who has used his experience working in operations at the top hospitality groups (USHG, Patina) to build and scale early stage tech products that help restaurateurs. As employee #4 at Resy, a leading restaurant reservation platform, he built and oversaw the sales and operations departments for the company’s first 3 years. He is currently CEO of Bite, the best in class digital ordering solution for restaurants, leading the company to incredible growth within top QSR brands.
