Woodbury council OKs Portillo's restaurant

Following murmurs of expanding to Minnesota last year, Portillo's, the suburban Chicago-based chain known best for its Chicago-style dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, is officially coming to Woodbury.

At its Nov. 9 meeting the Woodbury City Council approved the restaurant's building plan near the intersection of Hudson Road and Radio Drive, marking the chain's first splash into the Minnesota market.

City planners said the restaurant's developer plans to break ground before the cold season, with an anticipated opening in early summer.

In recent days, city staff have been fielding a few calls from enthused residents expressing excitement about the restaurant.

"Generally, people are thrilled," said Bette Thomas, a Woodbury administrative assistant in the city's community development department.

So far she's received about eight calls.

Portillo's is a little taste of home for Ray Kennedy, 79, a former employee who moved to Woodbury more than two years ago. Prior to moving from Shorewood, Ill., his family urged him to get a job and stay busy. For three years, the former cement finisher worked at Portillo's, a fast-paced environment he loved.

"It's unbelievable," Kennedy said, pointing out how quickly the restaurant moves customers through the drive-thru.

Kennedy won't be applying to work at the Portillo's in Woodbury, though.

"I'm 79 and have arthritic knees," he said with a laugh.

Portillo's operates close to 50 chains in the Midwest, as well as other locations in Arizona, California and Florida. Its menu also includes hamburgers, shakes and malts, salads and more.

A meal including a sandwich, drink and fries costs about $10, based on menu prices at the original Portillo's in Villa Park, Ill.

One of the unmentioned albeit favorite attractions is the chocolate cake for dessert, Kennedy said.

A number of other expanding chains have made their first appearance in the state after opening in Woodbury in recent months, including Italian street food seller Piada and Middle Eastern chain Naf Naf Grill, which opened at Woodbury's CityPlace this fall.

Woodbury Senior Planner Eric Searles said he believes the city's strong retail market tends to support franchises taking their first dip into the Minnesota market.

"Our demographics support early expansion into the Minneapolis-St. Paul market," he said, adding that franchisees "generally come in with a lot of enthusiasm for the market."

The city anticipates large turnout during Portillo's opening week and possibly extending into the future, which may require State Patrol officers or sheriff's deputies to mitigate traffic.

Woodbury Planning Commission chairman Al Rudnickas said Monday that while visiting suburban Chicago a few weeks ago, he observed long lines at a Portillo's. Locals told him the lengthy lines are typical during peak times.

"Given the cult following that this restaurant has, and it's the first one here, I think it's reasonable to expect it's going to be crazy like a new Krispy Kreme or something like that for a while," Rudnickas said, adding that people living around the Twin Cities will probably make the trek to the east side of town.

Representing Portillo's at Monday's planning meeting, Wendy Hunter said staff are trained in managing long drive-thru lines, which accounts for a large part of the chain's business.

"Their job is to keep the line moving," she said. "They really have this down to a science."

The 9,000-square-foot restaurant includes 208 interior seats and an outdoor patio. The drive-thru also has two car lanes, where food runners bring customers' orders curbside.

Once opened, the restaurant's hours will be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Mathias Baden contributed to this report.