Woman is left stunned at 'crazy' price of El Pollo Loco drive-thru meal: 'I went home and made dinner'
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A woman was forced to change her dinner plans after being left stunned by the price of an El Pollo Loco drive-thru meal.
The customer named Josie posted a TikTok video last week of her reaction over the 'crazy' cost of its 12-Piece Fire-Grilled Chicken Family Meal.
'I did not buy. I went home and made dinner. I was not going to get ripped off,' Josie wrote in the video.
The drive-thru menu read that the 12-piece family meal cost $43.99 despite Josie claiming it used to be less than $30.
Her video has since racked in over 50,000 views on TikTok, and it's currently her most-watched clip on her account.
A TikTok user named Josie posted a video on the social media platform about her frustration with the price of a family meal at El Pollo Loco
Josie did not identify what she planned to order before she caught the price of the family meal.
'I remember when the 12-piece family meal was $12.99. Now, it's $43,' she said.
'I was okay when it was $23.99 and $28.99, but $43.99? That is crazy.'
The 12-piece family meal on the drive-thru menu came with 12 pieces of chicken, three large sides, tortillas, and chips and salsa.
Customers also have the option to order an 8-piece or 16-piece family meal instead of a 12.
The 8-piece meal comes with eight pieces of chicken, two large sides, tortillas, and chips and salsa, and consumers who purchase the 16-piece order will get more chicken and an extra side.
The starting price for the 8-piece family meal is $32.99, while the 16-piece is at least $52.99, according to Grubhub.
However, prices may vary based on the restaurant's location and taxes.
The 12-Piece Fire-Grilled Chicken Family Meal at the drive-thru came with 12 pieces of chicken, three large sides, tortillas, and chips and salsa
Josie claimed that she remembered when the same family meal was available to purchase at El Pollo Loco for $12.99 to $28.99
Juan Francisco Ochoa opened the first El Pollo Loco restaurant in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1975 and expanded to the US five years later.
Today, there are nearly 500 El Pollo Loco restaurants in the US alone.
El Pollo Loco has maintained successful operations since it first opened, but it was one of the many restaurant chains that switched up its menu prices last year.
The company announced in a press release that it made $7.5 million from October to December last year, which was down from the $9.5 million it made during that time in 2022.
The chain also finished off the year with a $14.8 million in restaurant contribution, which is higher than last year's amount.
The increase was primarily due to better operating efficiencies and higher menu prices, according to its news release.
El Pollo Loco also raised its prices due to the increase in California's minimum wage, which became $20 an hour for fast food employees on April 1.
El Pollo Loco hiked up its menu prices due to the increase in minimum wage in California and the restaurant chain introduced Kiosks into some of its locations
Other TikTok users have been just as unhappy with the 'absurd' El Pollo Loco prices.
'Their prices have gone up, and their portions have gone down. I only opt in for their $6.00 combos now. Not spending more than that,' commented a TikToker.
Another person wrote: 'I used to get the Double Chicken Tostada Combo for $8.00 to $10.00 two years ago. Now, the plain classic tostada combo alone is $14.00. Make it make sense.'
TikTok users have also complained about the hiked-up prices at KFC and Popeyes, and multiple commenters insisted that Josie consider boycotting fast food restaurants.
'I boycotted a lot of fast food restaurants since they started price gouging… Best decision I’ve made in a while,' one TikToker wrote.
A few users suggested that consumers purchase chicken from local grocery or warehouse stores instead to save money.
'I'm in Florida. I can go to Publix and get eight pieces of chicken for $9.99,' a TikToker wrote.
