In 1975, Juan Francisco "Pancho" Ochoa opened his first chicken stand in the small town of Guasave on Mexico's Pacific Coast. He named the stand "El Pollo Loco", Spanish for "The Crazy Chicken." The stand was a big hit and news quickly spread. By 1979, Pancho's family had opened 85 restaurants in Northern Mexico. El Pollo Loco was purchased by Denny's restaurants in 1983, and by 2004 they were operating more than 300 El Pollo Loco restaurants in the United States.