El Pollo Loco names Belanger VP, Franchise

Mark A. Belanger, CFE, has been named to the newly created role of vice president, franchise, for El Pollo Loco, the Costa Mesa, California-based grilled-chicken chain. In his new position, he will lead the restaurant brand’s franchising efforts, including sales and franchisee relations. Previously, Belanger was director of business development at The Servicemaster Brands, following a stint as vice president of café operations at Barnes and Noble Booksellers. In his career of more than 20 years in franchising, Belanger also has held development positions at Dunkin’ Brands Inc. “With a proven track record of exceeding business and financial objectives, Mark will be a valuable asset as we continue to grow and develop our franchisee system,” El Pollo Loco chief executive Steve Sather said in a statement. “We are pleased to welcome Mark to the El Pollo Loco team and look forward to his contributions.” The chain of more than 400 company-owned and franchised restaurants is searching for more owner-operators in California, Nevada and Texas, as well as other key contiguous markets.