Former Dunkin’ executive Maria Hollandsworth has been named chief operating officer of El Pollo Loco Inc., effective Oct. 31, the company said Monday.
Hollandsworth was previously the regional vice president of operations for Dunkin’, now a division of the multichain Inspire Brands Inc.
Before joining Dunkin’, Hollandsworth spent about two decades at Jack in the Box, most recently serving as vice president of strategic initiatives and operations services from 2013 to 2018.
Larry Roberts, El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc.’s CEO, said in a statement, “I am thrilled to have Maria join the El Pollo Loco family. Throughout her 30-plus-year career in the restaurant industry, she has proven her leadership acumen in every facet of restaurant operations. Maria’s expertise in driving operational excellence, as well as her deep knowledge of franchisee relations and management, will be paramount as we strive to accelerate the growth of the El Pollo Loco brand through our asset-light strategy.”
Hollandsworth replaces Miguel Lozano, who announced plans to retire earlier this year, but pledged to stay on for three weeks after a replacement was found, or until Nov. 22, whichever came first.
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