El Pollo Loco (LOCO) director awarded 12,012 restricted shares in equity grant

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

BABB DOUGLAS J reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. director Douglas J. Babb reported receiving a grant of 12,012 shares of common stock as a restricted stock award. The shares were granted at no cash cost and will vest in full on the first anniversary of the grant date. Following this equity award, Babb directly holds 63,635 shares of El Pollo Loco common stock.

Insights

Equity Compensation Analyst

Director received a routine one-year vesting equity award.

Director Douglas J. Babb acquired 12,012 shares of El Pollo Loco Holdings common stock through a restricted stock award under the company’s Equity Incentive Plan. The award vests in full on the first anniversary of the grant date, aligning compensation with shareholder value.

This is a non-cash, compensation-related acquisition, not an open-market purchase. After the grant, Babb holds 63,635 shares directly, suggesting the transaction is modest relative to his overall equity position and appears to be a routine board compensation grant.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

BABB DOUGLAS J

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS, INC.

575 ANTON BLVD., SUITE 1100

(Street)

COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA 92626

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. [ LOCO ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/17/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/17/2026		A		12,012(1)	A	$0	63,635	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents shares of common stock underlying a restricted stock award granted under the Equity Incentive Plan, vesting in full on the first anniversary of the date of grant.

	/s/ Jason Weintraub, Attorney-in-Fact	03/19/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What did El Pollo Loco (LOCO) director Douglas J. Babb report on this Form 4?

Douglas J. Babb reported receiving 12,012 shares of El Pollo Loco common stock as a restricted stock award. The shares were granted under the company’s Equity Incentive Plan as part of his director compensation, rather than purchased in the open market.

Is the LOCO Form 4 transaction a stock purchase or an equity grant?

The LOCO Form 4 reflects an equity grant, not a stock purchase. Babb received 12,012 restricted shares at no cash cost as a compensation award, which will vest in full after one year instead of being bought on the market.

When do Douglas J. Babb’s restricted LOCO shares vest?

The 12,012 restricted shares vest in full on the first anniversary of the grant date. Until vesting, the award remains restricted stock under the company’s Equity Incentive Plan, tying Babb’s compensation to the company’s long-term performance over that one-year period.

How many El Pollo Loco shares does Douglas J. Babb hold after this Form 4?

After this restricted stock grant, Babb directly holds 63,635 shares of El Pollo Loco common stock. This total includes the 12,012-share restricted award reported, illustrating his ongoing equity stake as a member of the company’s board of directors.

Does the LOCO Form 4 indicate any insider stock sales by Douglas J. Babb?

The Form 4 does not report any stock sales by Babb. It only shows an acquisition through a 12,012-share restricted stock award, with no dispositions, exercises, or open-market transactions disclosed in the provided filing data.