Will Lines Form Just Like Whataburger If Chicago Hot Dog Chain Portillo’s Opens in Atlanta?

Friday, September 29th, 2023

Another popular restaurant chain could be headed to metro Atlanta and Georgia, this time slinging Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Suburban Chicago-based Portillo’s is eyeing the Atlanta area and state of Georgia for expansion in the Southeast, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

While specific locations have yet to be targeted, or an exact ETA given for opening the first Portillo’s, the company is considering opening between six and eight restaurants within a metropolitan area in the state. In addition to Georgia, Portillo’s is setting its sights on Houston, Nevada, and Colorado for new locations over the next year. Portillo’s opened its first Dallas location in January, where hour-long lines stretched around the block even a month after opening at the Grandscape in the Colony.