Portillo’s, a Chicago-based fast food hot dog restaurant, has finally made its way to North Dallas. This will be the first Portillo’s in the Lone Star State.
The grand opening of the 7,900-square-foot restaurant grand will be on Wednesday, January 18. It will be located in The Colony at 4560 Destination Drive and will feature a double drive-thru and be able to seat over 260 customers. The location’s decor will incorporate elements from the surrounding community.
The restaurant will be part of The Colony’s Grandscape complex, the largest mixed-use real estate, retail, entertainment, and restaurant development in North Texas.
CEO Michael Osanloo has been planning to bring Portillo’s to Texas for years. He said the state ranked No.1 in the U.S. for the company’s shipping business last year, so he’s confident there is a market for the new restaurant. In 2021, he told Forbes and the Chicago Tribune that there would be a restaurant opening “in a town near Frisco next year.”
“Texas is an amazing market, and I can’t wait for our fans there to see this showstopper of a restaurant,” said Osanloo in 2022. “We’ve had fans asking us to bring a brick-and-mortar restaurant there for years. We’re investing in the right people and the right real estate to make this restaurant a home run for them.”
Anticipations are high for the new hot dog spot. It seems that Texans have been fans of the restaurant for over a decade. A group called “Portillo’s wanted in DFW” on Facebook was started in 2009 and has over 3,000 members.
Portillo’s menu consists of Chicago favorites like char-grilled burgers, pasta, ribs, and their famous Chicago-style hot dogs.
According to Tastes of Chicago, a Chicago-style hot dog “starts with a steamed poppy seed bun and an all-beef frankfurter. Then it’s topped with yellow mustard, bright green relish, fresh chopped onions, juicy red tomato wedges, a kosher-style pickle spear, a couple of spicy sport peppers and finally a dash of celery salt. And no, we didn’t forget ketchup. A true Chicago hot dog connoisseur wouldn’t be caught dead with ketchup on his dawg and neither should you.”
In honor of the grand opening, Portillo’s has chosen two local charity partners, Lewisville Education Foundation and NTX Community Pantry, each of which will be presented with a $5,000 check.
“We are very excited to welcome this iconic brand to Grandscape,” Jeff Lind, president of Grandscape, said in March 2022. “Our mission continues to be creating a destination unlike any other, offering brands that are often first to the market while creating a one-of-a-kind visitor experience. Portillo’s is famous for their offerings and their service, and we look forward to being their first home in the state of Texas.”
The first Portillo’s opened in Illinois in 1963. The company now has 70 restaurants in nine states, with Texas set to be the 10th.
For more information, readers can visit the restaurant’s website here, or follow it on social media.