Portillo's Triple Drive-Thru Fresh Food Fast

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared and portable food fast has been key to driving customer trail, adoption, and brand migration according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Fast-casual chain Portillo’s is kicking things up a notch, with a new, one-of-a-kind location. The company introduced Portillo’s Pick Up. Unlike traditional restaurants, Portillo’s Pick Up will not have an indoor dining room. Instead, the 3,750-square-foot restaurant will feature three drive-thru lanes as well as a pick-up area for orders placed at portillos.com and through the Portillo’s app. The chain will also offer delivery and catering from the new Joliet restaurant.

Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo, stated, “This new restaurant is unlike anything Portillo’s has ever done…. “We’re bringing the inside out in Joliet. With this new model, guests will get the signature Portillo’s experience with our unrivaled Chicago-street food exclusively via our pickup and delivery channels. We know our guests enjoy the convenience of our drive-thru and delivery, so we’re excited to double down on those efforts.”

Fresh food fast is one of the hallmarks of the Grocerant niche and once open, Portillo’s Speed Team will race to serve guests its signature Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, char-broiled burgers, fresh salads and world-famous chocolate cake, all for takeaway. Outside, the restaurant will feature Portillo’s design and flair, complete with a raceway theme.

“Portillo’s is a popular regional eatery that I am proud to welcome to Joliet,” says Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk. “This new restaurant concept combined with the popularity of Portillo’s is a promising addition to the North Ridge Plaza shopping center. This is another outstanding development for Joliet and its residents.”

To help launch the new restaurant, Portillo’s designed a limited-edition t-shirt for this location. Guests are invited to sign up for Portillo’s Birthday Club to receive one of these shirts on opening day, while supplies last. Fans who sign up also receive a slice of Portillo’s homemade chocolate cake on their birthday. 

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter