The farthest north El Pollo Loco in California is gearing up for opening day.
I recently visited the Mexican restaurant in Redding’s Churn Creek Marketplace and spoke with the general manger and the chain’s area manager and regional director of operations.
They told me Redding’s El Pollo Loco will open in mid-May with what the industry calls a “soft opening.” A grand opening is planned for late June or early July.
“El Pollo Loco is more known in Southern California so coming up north here is exciting,” said Charles Steward, area manager who oversees 10 locations in the greater Fresno market.
Hilbers Inc. was the general contractor and started work on the new restaurant in December, and when I visited crews were putting the finishing touches on the five-month buildout.
Steward is in Redding to help open the new restaurant. Also in town is Elvia Morales, El Pollo Loco’s regional director of operations who oversees 44 locations in Southern California.
When he’s out and about in Redding, Steward often has his El Pollo Loco shirt on, and sometimes people will ask him about the name.
“They will say, ‘What’s that? And how’s the food?’ “ he added. “It’s exciting. It’s going to be a new flavor.”
El Pollo Loco is joining a competitive market for chicken restaurants in Redding. The chain joins Dave’s Hot Chicken, two Chick-fil-A locations, KFC, Popeyes, Chicken Shack, Wing Spot, Wing Stop and Raising Cane’s.
Steward admits that some of the remarks he has heard is, another chicken place?
“Our chicken, it’s not the same,” he said.
Morales said El Pollo Loco is not a fried-chicken concept. The restaurant fire-grills the chicken, which is fresh, not frozen, and gets marinated every day.
“As we venture out to different markets, we’re able to evolve as a brand because a lot of people are new to the concept,” Morales said.
Angie Burton, who’s lived most of her life in Redding, is El Pollo Loco’s general manager.
While El Pollo Loco is new to Redding, Burton said there are a lot of Southern California transplants living in the North State who have been waiting for the chain to open here.
“I think it’s going to do very well,” she said.
Stay tuned.
This busy Anderson corner gets new food truck
When Mister Taco closed last year at the corner of Deschutes and Balls Ferry Road in Anderson and relocated to Redding, property owner Frank “Don Francisco” Balderrama and Lori Loring took the opportunity to fix up the property in hopes of getting a new restaurant to open there.
But they were unable to find someone. So, they did the next best thing, they have landed a food truck, Rafago Tacos, and rebranded the property as Deschutes Food Truck Corner.
Rafael Olivera, who was born and raised in Mexico, and his daughter, Karen Cisneros, opened at the corner about two weeks ago.
Olivera lives in Cottonwood and has been in California for nearly 20 years. He grew up in Michoacan, Mexico. He has been a chef in the restaurant industry for practically his whole working life, culling his recipes for his taco, burritos and Mexican seafood dishes for about that long.
With his daughter interpreting, Olivera said he realizes the North State’s Mexican restaurant landscape is crowded, but there’s room for more.
“He believes that everybody has their seasonings and their own way of doing things,” Cisneros said. “He just doesn’t want his food to taste good, but he wants it to look good as well.”
Olivera’s food truck is emblazoned with his menu and a picture of the church he attended in Mexico, where he was baptized and received his first communion.
Balderrama recalls meeting Olivera when they first started working on their property.
“He came by and wanted to know if he could lease the restaurant. I told him some things needed to be done and I didn’t know what the cost would be,” Balderrama said.
Olivera told Balderrama that he also had a food truck, but Balderrama at the time said he did not know if he could have a food truck there.
“We just kept in touch,” Balderrama said, and eventually he did some checking and discovered, yes, he could have a food truck on his property.
“They like his food; they think it’s excellent and his business is picking up,” Balderrama said. “I think he’s going to do well.”
Rafago Tacos at Deschutes Food Truck Corner is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Downtown Redding will honor individuals, businesses
VIVA Downtown Redding’s annual celebration of the city’s old core will take place May 12 at the IOOF Hall’s upstairs banquet hall at 1504 Market St.
This year’s event will honor three individuals, two businesses and the city of Redding whose contributions improved the social, cultural and economic viability of downtown.
This years honorees are:
Matthew Grigsby, a volunteer who has grown the arts and cultural community.
Mike Moynahan, a retired educator and coach for his historical preservation efforts.
Sandi Thompson, for her community service efforts that have removed graffiti and blight in downtown.
Sandwichery, a downtown business for more than 40 years owned and operated by Pat and Sandy Watson.
K2 Development, the company whose Market Center and Redding Public Market projects have triggered the recent downtown revival.
City of Redding Communications Team, whose engagement efforts have promoted downtown.
The event is 5 to 6:30 p.m. Food and beverage will be provided.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: El Pollo Loco opens soon, food truck corner gets spot south of Redding
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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