El Pollo Loco Kicks off Apprentice-Themed Contest

El Pollo Loco is extending its recent appearance on NBC's The Apprentice: Los Angeles with an online contest that lets fans mimic the show's task for a chance to win tickets to the finale.

El Pollo is asking fans to create their own Pollo Bowls for a chance to see the final episode in person on Los Angeles this spring. The contest is a play off the recent episode in which Apprentice contestants had to create, promote and sell a new signature Pollo bowl for the company.

Consumers can enter the Create Your Own Pollo Bowls contest at ElPolloLoco.com. To participate, players drag and drop ingredients online into a bowl to make their creation.

"The idea was to extend our piece on TV and the enjoyment we hope viewers had with the show," said Mark Hardison, director of marketing for El Pollo Loco.

El Pollo Loco is promoting the contest online and via in-store merchandise. A TV spot in the Los Angeles market drives viewers to the Web site and promotion, which runs through Feb. 11. Each person who enters will receive a $2 off coupon toward their next purchase of the original Pollo Bowl at any of El Pollo's 359 restaurants nationwide.

Since its appearance on the show, El Pollo Loco said it has received more than 16,000 Web site visits .

The partnership was the first between El Pollo Loco and The Apprentice: Los Angeles. The company signed on as a sponsor to highlight its brand and build up its nationwide expansion plans, Hardison said.

El Pollo Loco is slated to open 30 restaurants this year, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, Rhode Island and Georgia.

Skycastle Entertainment, Burbank, CA, handles the Web site and TV spot.

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