Portillo’s, which has locations across the country, is getting ready to expand its newest concept in Rosemont at 10290 W Higgins Rd.
The company’s newest location will move into the former home of Shoeless Joe’s Ale House & Grille, which relocated near Schiller Park in 2019, according to the Daily Herald. Replacing it will be a 3,500-square-foot Portillo’s with no dining room and three drive-through lanes. The corporate-owned location has been made possible after the village board signed a redevelopment agreement and sales contract with Northfield-based Braden Real Estate. Portillo’s is aiming to open by the end of the year.
This is the second time the company has opted for a dining room-less location, following the concept debut in Joliet. While this design favors drive-through and pre-order customers, there will be a walk-up window for takeout orders. By focusing on mobile orders, the restaurant can construct a location about half the size of a traditional Portillo’s. As a result, the interior will strictly be used for food prep, office space, storage, and an employee break room. The menu will feature the chain restaurant’s staples but won’t include some items seen at other sit-down locations, such as Barnelli’s pasta dishes and baby back ribs.
Next, Portillo’s will have to go before the village zoning board of appeals in April for additional reviews. There’s a chance the village could provide up to $600,000 under a separate agreement for underground improvements, installing a wall between the restaurant and the adjacent Best Western, and fixing a retaining wall. Mayor Brad Stephens expressed his support for the addition, one reason being that the Joliet location has already generated $6 million in revenue.
“We’re ecstatic,” Stephens recently said. “It will be a great addition to the village. I love their beef sandwiches, and my son, Joseph, is big on their cheeseburgers and fries,”
