Portillo’s, the American fast food chain specializing in Chicago-style food, is getting ready to expand to Algonquin, located at the southwest corner of Randall Road and Commons Drive.
The village board recently approved a deal with the owners of the Enclave to add another restaurant to the upcoming 13-acre commercial development, according to the Daily Herald. The Chicago hot dog specialists will join several other businesses already set for the development, including Cooper’s Hawk, Raising Cane’s, BJ’s Brewhouse, and Belle Tire. Construction for all of this is set to begin in early 2023, hoping to be completed by the end of next year, according to Village President Debby Sosine.
“This is an awesome benefit to the village to have all of these businesses come here,” Sosine tells the publication.
While Portillo’s is found throughout the Midwest and parts of Florida, Arizona, and California, this will be one of the northernmost locations in Illinois, joining Crystal Lake, Vernon Hills, and Gurnee. Nonetheless, the expansion proves the restaurant is destined to cover every corner of Chicagoland. Portillo’s had previously approached the village about being a part of the development, but the building’s design didn’t fit into Algonquin’s design standards. The company resubmitted, this time with a garage-style building concept, and was approved.
The businesses should have a “spillover effect that benefits all businesses in the area and bring people to Algonquin the might not have to come here otherwise,” Community Development Director Jason Shallcross says.