El Pollo Loco Donating All Aug. 12 Sales To Victims' Families

GILROY, CA — El Pollo Loco in Gilroy wants to feed some hearts.

For those with hunger pangs and good hearts, the owner of El Pollo Loco in Gilroy is inviting the public to come in to eat on Aug. 12, a day proceeds from sales will be donated to the families of the three victims shot and killed by a 19-year-old gunman at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on July 28.

The hours for the 6986 Chestnut St. location are set for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Donations will also be accepted from the public for the families of Stephen Romero, 6, Keyla Salazar, 13 — both of San Jose and Trevor Irby, 25, of Santa Cruz to be split equally between them.

Restaurant owner Brian Spongberg has also pledged to provide free family meals to the dozen people shot and injured. He can be reached at 562-732-4645 or via brian.spongberg@wksusa.com to receive meal vouchers.

"I wanted to find a way to help out," he told Patch.

For Spongberg, the recent spate of mass shootings has come a little too close to home. His WKS Restaurant Group operates a Wendys in Poway close to the synagogue that was fired upon last April by a gunman who was also armed with assault weapon.

Spongberg plans to enhance the staffing for the day in anticipation of a crowd showing up.

El Pollo Loco is the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant with a mission to bring people together around food, family and culture in the communities it serves. Raised in the heart of Los Angeles, El Pollo Loco is renowned for its handcrafted L.A. Mex food. The chain has opened more than 480 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California Nevada, Texas, Utah and Louisiana. More information can be found by visiting www.elpolloloco.co.

Spongberg's WKS Restaurant Group is a family-owned operation headquartered in Cypress in Orange County with El Pollo Loco and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts franchise systems as well as the largest Wendy's franchisee in California. Denny’s, Corner Bakery Cafes and Blaze Pizza brands complete the WKS restaurant portfolio, which now operates over 190 restaurants. More on this company is listed at https://www.wksusa.com/.