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El Pollo Loco Holdings cash flow, quarter by quarter

Latest: Q3 2026 · from the cash-flow statements filed with the SEC

Free cash flow$506K in Q3 2026 · $31.6M over twelve months

Operating cash flow$7.9M
Capital spending−$7.4M
Free cash flow+$506K
Cash / net income1.1×

Analysis

In Q3 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings generated $7.9M of operating cash flow and spent $7.4M on capital projects, leaving free cash flow of $506K.

Over the twelve months to Sep 30, 2026, operating cash flow was $66.5M; the largest uses were net borrowing (+) / repaid (−) ($43.1M), capital spending ($34.9M), buybacks ($2.7M); besides operations, cash came from other financing ($3.4M), shares issued ($3.3M); the cash balance fell by $7.5M.

Operating cash flow was $7.9M against net income of $6.9M — 1.1× profit, cash ran ahead of reported earnings. The largest differences: payables −$7.1M, depreciation & amortization +$4.6M, accrued liabilities −$2.0M.

Free cash flow

El Pollo Loco Holdings: free cash flow by quarterEl Pollo Loco Holdings: free cash flow by quarter$1.1MQ4 2024$1.3MQ1 2025$9.1MQ2 2025$9.9MQ3 2025$5.1MQ4 2025$2.8MQ1 2026$23.3MQ2 2026$506KQ3 2026
Operating cash flow less capital spending.
El Pollo Loco Holdings: operating cash flow against capital spendingEl Pollo Loco Holdings: operating cash flow against capital spendingOperating cash flowCapital spending$5.6M$4.5MQ4 2024$4.7M$3.4MQ1 2025$14.1M$5.0MQ2 2025$15.3M$5.4MQ3 2025$13.9M$8.8MQ4 2025$13.0M$10.2MQ1 2026$31.7M$8.5MQ2 2026$7.9M$7.4MQ3 2026
Latest (Q3 2026): Operating cash flow $7.9M, Capital spending $7.4M.

Capital allocation, year by year

El Pollo Loco Holdings: where the cash came from (up) and went (down), by fiscal yearEl Pollo Loco Holdings: where the cash came from (up) and went (down), by fiscal yearOperating cash flowNet borrowingShares issuedAsset salesCapital spendingBuybacksDividendsFY2021: Operating cash flow $52.1MFY2021: Net borrowing −$22.9MFY2021: Shares issued $866KFY2021: Asset sales $4.6MFY2021: Capital spending −$17.0M$57.5MFY2021FY2022: Operating cash flow $38.5MFY2022: Net borrowing −$20.2MFY2022: Shares issued $1.7MFY2022: Asset sales $1.0MFY2022: Capital spending −$19.9MFY2022: Dividends −$55.6M$41.3MFY2022FY2023: Operating cash flow $40.7MFY2023: Net borrowing −$21.2MFY2023: Shares issued $1.2MFY2023: Asset sales $7.7MFY2023: Capital spending −$21.3MFY2023: Buybacks −$59.2M$49.6MFY2023FY2024: Operating cash flow $46.8MFY2024: Net borrowing −$27.2MFY2024: Shares issued $1.6MFY2024: Asset sales $100KFY2024: Capital spending −$19.1MFY2024: Buybacks −$20.6M$48.4MFY2024FY2025: Operating cash flow $48.1MFY2025: Net borrowing −$29.2MFY2025: Shares issued $1.1MFY2025: Capital spending −$22.6MFY2025: Buybacks −$1.8M$49.2MFY2025
Over these 5 years operating cash flow totalled $226M; the largest uses were net borrowing ($121M) and capital spending ($100M). Cash-flow statements as filed.

Cash runway and the debt wall

Cash & investments$3.4M
Debt$23.0M
Net debt$19.6M

El Pollo Loco Holdings funds itself: free cash flow was $31.6M over the last twelve months, and $3.4M of cash and investments stands against $23.0M of debt.

Where the cash came from and went

El Pollo Loco Holdings: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, Q3 2026El Pollo Loco Holdings: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, Q3 2026Cash drawn (+) / kept (−)$9.9MOperating cash flow$7.9MCapital spending−$7.4MNet borrowing (+) / repaid (−)−$7.0MOther financing−$3.5MShares issued$119K
El Pollo Loco Holdings: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, TTM to Q3 2026El Pollo Loco Holdings: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, TTM to Q3 2026Operating cash flow$66.5MNet borrowing (+) / repaid (−)−$43.1MCapital spending−$34.9MCash drawn (+) / kept (−)$7.5MOther financing$3.4MShares issued$3.3MBuybacks−$2.7M

From profit to cash

El Pollo Loco Holdings: net income to operating cash flow, Q3 2026El Pollo Loco Holdings: net income to operating cash flow, Q3 2026Net income$6.9MDepreciation & amortization$4.6MStock-based pay$1.6MDeferred taxes$1.0MReceivables$967KInventory−$31KPayables−$7.1MAccrued liabilities−$2.0MPrepaid and other assets$1.8MIncome taxes payable−$1.2MOperating cash flow$7.9M
Non-cash charges are added back; money tied up in receivables or inventory is subtracted.

Every quarter

QuarterOperating cash flowCapital spendingBuybacksNet borrowing (+) / repaid (−)Shares issuedCash drawn (+) / kept (−)Free cash flow
Q3 2026$7.9M−$7.4M—−$7.0M$119K$9.9M$506K
Q2 2026$31.7M−$8.5M—−$19.0M$443K−$9.4M$23.3M
Q1 2026$13.0M−$10.2M—−$7.1M$2.2M$2.3M$2.8M
Q4 2025$13.9M−$8.8M$1K−$10.1M$570K$4.6M$5.1M
Q3 2025$15.3M−$5.4M—−$9.1M$83K−$1.9M$9.9M
Q2 2025$14.1M−$5.0M−$68K−$6.1M$26K−$4.7M$9.1M
Q1 2025$4.7M−$3.4M−$1.8M−$4.1M$426K−$1.8M$1.3M
Q4 2024$5.6M−$4.5M−$1.3M−$5.1M$1K$5.4M$1.1M

El Pollo Loco Holdings: income statement and cash flow

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Q3 2026: revenue $126M (+4% year over year), operating margin 8.1%. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.

El Pollo Loco Holdings: every quarter, Q/Q and Y/Y → Open in the app

Read automatically from the company’s XBRL cash-flow statements; quarterly figures for the fourth quarter are the year less the first three. Errors are possible. Not investment advice.