Portillo's Restaurants facts for kids
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Trade name
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Portillo's |
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| Public company | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: PTLO |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual |
| Founded | April 9, 1963 in Villa Park, Illinois |
| Founder | Dick Portillo |
| Headquarters | Oak Brook, Illinois, United States |
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Number of locations
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67 |
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Key people
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Michael Osanloo, CEO |
| Products | |
| Revenue |  US$517 million (2021) |
| Owner | Berkshire Partners (72%) |
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Number of employees
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About 6,000 |
Portillo's Restaurant Group, Inc. is a popular American restaurant chain. It's known for serving classic Chicago-style foods. You can find tasty items like hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and Maxwell Street Polish sausages there.
The company started on April 9, 1963. It was founded by a person named Dick Portillo in Villa Park, Illinois. Back then, it was called "The Dog House." Today, Portillo's has many locations. Most are in the Chicago area, but you can also find them in other states like Florida, California, and Arizona.
Contents
The Story of Portillo's
Portillo's was started by Dick Portillo in 1963. After serving in the Marines, Dick wanted to open his own business. He used his savings and some money from his brother Frank. They bought a small, 12-foot trailer to sell hot dogs.
From "The Dog House" to Portillo's
The first hot dog stand was very simple. It didn't even have a restroom or running water! They named it "The Dog House." At first, the business struggled. Dick decided to learn from other successful hot dog stands. He secretly watched how they bought their food and ran their kitchens.
By 1967, "The Dog House" was doing much better. Dick upgraded to a bigger trailer. He also changed the name to "Portillo's." This was a big step for the growing business.
Growing the Restaurant Chain
In 1970, Dick partnered with Harold Reskin. They opened a second Portillo's location inside a shopping mall. This helped the business reach more customers. In 1983, Portillo's opened its first drive-thru. This made it even easier for people to get their food quickly.
By the 1990s, Portillo's was very successful. It had more than 25 restaurants around the Chicago area. In 1994, the first Portillo's opened within the city of Chicago itself.
New Owners and Expansion
In 2014, Dick Portillo sold his company to a group called Berkshire Partners. The new owners had big plans for Portillo's. They wanted to open many more restaurants each year. Dick Portillo still helps by finding land for new locations.
In 2021, Portillo's became a public company. This means that parts of the company can be bought and sold as stocks. It was a major step for the restaurant chain.
Portillo's Across the USA
Portillo's started in Illinois, but it has grown a lot. Many people outside of Illinois wanted to try their famous food.
First Stops Outside Illinois
The first Portillo's in California opened in 2005. It was in Buena Park. A few years later, a second California location opened in Moreno Valley. This showed that Portillo's could be popular far from its home state.
In 2016, Portillo's opened its first restaurant in Florida. This was in Brandon, near Tampa. Another location opened in Tampa that same year. The company even joked about the Chicago Blackhawks beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in hockey. They said, "Let's be frank: No matter whose jersey you're wearing, everyone will be welcome."
More Recent Expansions
Portillo's continued to open new restaurants in other states. In 2017, the first Minnesota location opened in Woodbury. The first Indiana location opened in Fishers that same year. Many people who grew up in Chicago had moved to these areas. They were excited to have a taste of home.
In 2019, Portillo's opened its first restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. It also opened its first location in Iowa, in Davenport. In 2021, the first Portillo's in Michigan opened in Sterling Heights. A new location also opened in Orlando, Florida, in 2021.
Portillo's keeps growing! In 2022, they opened their third Florida location in St. Petersburg. They also announced plans for new restaurants in Arizona and Texas.
Images for kids
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Portillo's Restaurants logo
