Portillo's, a Chicago-based restaurant best known for hot dogs and beef sandwiches, is getting closer to its planned metro Georgia arrival. The company indicated this past September that it was considering a metro Atlanta expansion and has now hired a local brokerage to spearhead that effort.
In a LinkedIn post Wednesday, the firm shared that they are seeking 1.7 acre pad sites (1.5 acre with shared parking) for Portillo's that allow drive-thru with 90-100 parking spaces. The post suggests that Portillo's is looking at the state as a whole rather than just "metro Atlanta," with specific interest in "strong regional & super regional trade areas." Ideal locations for Portillo's will also offer "Excellent access & visibility."
Dick Portillo started the restaurant in 1963. Sixty-one years later, there are currently 88 restaurants in 10 states around the country. In addition to Georgia, the chain plans to enter Nevada, Colorado, North Carolina, and South Carolina in the months and years to come.
Portillo's entered Florida with a location in Brandon in 2016. In the years since, the company has opened five more locations in the Sunshine State with a seventh unit planned to open in the Orlando suburb of Waterford Lakes by the end of the year.
The new restaurants, the company's so-called "Restaurant of the Future," will average between 5,500 to 6,000 square feet (compared to roughly 8,000 square feet today) with a 47-foot production line.
The company went public in October 2021 and trades on the NASDAQ under symbol "PTLO."
In an August 6 release where the company revealed its recent financial performance, it indicated that it aims to open "at least six more restaurants" in fiscal year 2024.
The company also indicated that its revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 were $181.9 million compared to $169.2 million for the quarter ended June 25, 2023, an increase of $12.7 million or 7.5%. Portillo's attributed the increase in revenues to recent store openings.
Georgia and the other expansion markets are being targeted to allow the chain to continue to grow. The hot dog chain said this past September that it can grow to 800 full-sized restaurants and 120 smaller pickup, walk-up, and other alternative formats.
Portillo's is the latest in a string of regional and cult-favorite chain restaurants to announce for or open in the Georgia market.
Whataburger entered the Atlanta market in November 2022, followed by Shipley Do-Nuts in March 2023 and Tim Hortons in June 2023 (and metro Atlanta this past January).
Torchy's Tacos is opening their first Atlanta area location August 23 with Dutch Bros. expected to make their metro Atlanta debut in early 2025. The possibility of an In-N-Out Burger in metro Atlanta is likely in the years to come with the California chain opening a "corporate hub" in the Nashville suburb of Franklin and several restaurants already in the works.
The one brand that has multiple times been mentioned in talks about chains looking to enter metro Atlanta but has yet to do so: Potbelly Sandwich Works. Potbelly, like Portillo's. is based in Chicago and has grown into the south but despite having entered North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida, has never opened in Georgia or committed to entering the market. There is hope with the roughly 400 unit company announcing in January its ten year plan is to reach 2,000 units.
12 comments:
I get a hot dog from there whenever I go to Chicago so it would be great to have some locations in Atlanta.
Recent road trip to visit family and friends in Wisconsin I ate at a Portillo's and was not impressed with the restaurant.
Mid-afternoon stop and it took 20 minutes for a order to be prepared for dine in.
Drinks were watery due to the ice melting while the balance of the order was prepared.
Staff was much less than polite.
Why not take over some closing Hardee's spots?
hey Anonymous, next time get an Italian Beef instead of the hot dog. you're welcome. :)
Happy to see any Chicago food make its way down south!
A great place would be at the old originally a Spaghetti Warehouse, then a diner, now vacant on Delk Road near I-75. Great parking and location. I’ve been waiting 47 years for them. I’ve been ordering it shipped frozen. Any idea when they hope to have an opening date?
Their Italian beefs are everything. I miss it but make sure to get my fix when I go to visit my family.
I tried the italian beef, it's good but I prefer the hot dogs.
We could use a Portillo's in Tucker instead of the Fluffy Fluff Pancake Place that is opening soon.
I would be so happy...can't happen soon enough!
There are plenty of better places in and around chicago for dogs and beef but I'd definitely welcome a portillo's here. I think the old On the Border site on Barret Pkwy near the costco is about the right size and close to I-75 and long thought that what looks to be unused outparcel space on the Cobb Pkwy side of Cumberland Mall would be great for something like them
Nothing like a juicy hot beef.
I so miss my Portillo’s since moving to Georgia from the Chicago area in 2017. I can say I’m old enough that I used to eat at Dick Portillo’s original dog house back in the 60’s. And my father did some of the remodeling work when he opened his first brick and mortar store in Glendale Heights which I believe was an old A&W. I know we will never see one in Habersham County but one can only wish. They don’t know how to do hot dogs and beefs in the south like Chicago does.
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