By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – Portillo’s Restaurant is opening in Normal with plenty of fanfare.
VIP’s, including Mayor Chris Koos, and the media were invited for a sneak peak at the restaurant on Landmark Dr, and to meet the iconic chain’s founder.
Portillo’s opens Tuesday, and spokesman Nick Scarpino said it’s probably going to be nuts. He said the company is working with Normal Police to help with what’s expected to be very heavy traffic, and City Manager Mark Peterson said officers will be keeping a close eye on the traffic situation when the restaurant opens to the public.
Founder Dick Portillo greeted guests in front of a replica of The Dog House, a shack-like structure from which Portillo ran his fledgling business beginning in 1963.
The restaurant is now in seven states, and employs more than six-thousand people. Last year, Portillo’s cash registers rang up 33 million transactions.
“Portillo’s is the highest volume restaurant brand of its kind,” said Portillo.
“There is no brand, no fast casual brand in the United States of America today that has the gross sales that Portillo’s has, and I believe there’s no brand in the United States of America that has a cult-like following that Portillo’s has.”
Locally, about 170 full and part-timers will work at the Landmark Dr. location.
Portillo is no stranger to Bloomington-Normal.
Bloomington’s mayor at the time, Judy Markowitz, tried to lure Portillo’s to what used to be known as Brandtville in southeast Bloomington. Portillo turned down the offer, deciding back then the community’s population was not large enough to support the business.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
