Demo

Food Preparation

El Pollo Loco
Salinas, CA Full Time | Part Time
POSTED ON 5/28/2026 CLOSED ON 6/7/2026

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Food Preparation position at El Pollo Loco?

Food Preparation/Dishwasher


Food Preparation/Dishwasher Job Summary:


Prepare all the delicious side dishes that accompany our chicken, assist in maintaining the kitchen clean and organized.


Responsibilities/Duties:

  • Follows company food handling and safety procedures.
  • Follows projections through the shift to maintain proper food product levels at expected quality.
  • Follows cold and hot preparation recipes according to standards, and inspects all ingredients.
  • Maintains dishes clean throughout the shift following manual warewashing standards.
  • Provides support to peers such as restocking packed products in coolers for cashiers, packaging cold prepped items, and other tasks assigned.
  • Maintains a clean and sanitized work area, including equipment, tools and storage areas.
  • Assists in training new Food Preparation personnel.
  • Performs additional duties as assigned by the supervisor.


Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to move 50lbs, with assistance is required
  • Ability to lift, pull, toss 40lbs trash bags
  • Must have a high level of mobility/flexibility
  • Ability to reach, bend, stoop, scrub, lift and wipe.
  • Exposure to heat, cold, smoke and odor.
  • Ability to stand and walk for long periods of time.
  • Must be able to work under stress/pressure during peak periods.


Qualification Standards:

  • CA Food Handler Certificate is required
  • Must be 18 years of age or older
  • Must be able to read company recipes cards in either English or Spanish
  • Must have a basic understanding of how to follow a recipe.

We are a licensed El Pollo Loco Franchisee company with 29 restaurants ( and many more in the pipeline ) over 500 team members strong and more joining our vision everyday. Located in Northern California, our name says it all TWS ( Together We Succeed ).
We are in an exponential growth mode and set to have at least 35 El Pollo Loco restaurants by the end of 2030 and eventually looking to a multi-brand expansion throughout the USA.

Pay: Starting at $20 / hour

Benefits:

  • Flexible schedule
  • Referral program
  • Employee discount

Job Type: fulltime, parttime

Education: No education required

Work location: On-site

Salary.com Estimation for Food Preparation in Salinas, CA
$34,846 to $42,862
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Food Preparation?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Food Preparation career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$30,417 - $40,552
Income Estimation: 
$29,500 - $36,608
Income Estimation: 
$57,620 - $74,708
Income Estimation: 
$44,630 - $63,234

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Food Preparation.

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Business Process Modeling/Improvement Skill

    • Income Estimation: $101,242 - $124,726
    • Income Estimation: $95,167 - $123,682
  • Cross-Functional Integration Skill

    • Income Estimation: $89,677 - $153,375
    • Income Estimation: $92,929 - $122,443
This job has expired.
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at El Pollo Loco

  • El Pollo Loco Hawthorne, CA
  • As an Assistant Manager at El Pollo Loco, you’ll be a key player in turning up the heat and driving the fire-grilled experience from behind the scenes. You... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • El Pollo Loco Ventura, CA
  • We are always keeping an eye out for applicants who are friendly, enthusiastic, and who genuinely enjoy serving guests. To be successful in this role, you ... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • El Pollo Loco Los Angeles, CA
  • As a General Manager, you’ll be the spark that keeps the flame alive, leading a passionate team, driving success, and ensuring every guest gets a taste of ... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • El Pollo Loco Costa Mesa, CA
  • At El Pollo Loco, we are on a mission to be the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken restaurant. When it comes to our people, we are all about growth. Whe... more
  • 1 Day Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Food Preparation jobs in the Salinas, CA area that may be a better fit.

  • Monterey Peninsula Country Club Pebble Beach, CA
  • Don’t miss this opportunity! We are seeking an experienced food server with a dynamic hospitality driven attitude to join our food & beverage team. For nea... more
  • 16 Days Ago

  • Covia Pacific Grove, CA
  • Canterbury Woods Retirement Community Pay Range: $20.25- $21.00 Schedule: PM Shift: 4pm-8pm or 10:30am-6:30pm Summary: Under the supervision of the Dining ... more
  • 2 Months Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!