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The Independent

partner publisher · 2.6M followers
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Popular Chicago chain known for its hot dogs set to close locations

The Chicago-based fast-casual chain, known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, has 109 locations nationwide Getty/iStock To be frank, fans of a popular Chicago -style hot dog chain may not relish this news. Portillo’s plans to close a “mid-to-high single-digit number” of underperforming restaurants outside the Chicago area, mostly by the end of the year, CEO Brett Patterson announced Thursday. The Chicago-based fast-casual chain, known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, has 109 locations nationwide. It said it looked at each restaurant’s sales, operating costs and expected future performance before deciding which ones to close. The company has not yet announced the affected locations. “This will improve portfolio quality, strengthen returns on invested capital and reflect our commitment to disciplined growth,” Patterson said. The move comes as Portillo’s looks to get back on track after struggling to find the same success in markets outside Chicago. The move comes as Portillo’s looks to get back on track after struggling to find the same success in markets outside Chicago (Getty/iStock) Portillo’s plans to put more focus on its existing restaurants and take a more careful approach to opening new locations, particularly in unfamiliar markets. Patterson said the chain

Chicago, IL · 9h

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Restaurant Transforms Into A Magical Christmas Wonderland For The Holiday Season

Ornaments cover one Illinois dining room so completely each December that it feels like eating inside a snow globe. Add wreaths, snowflakes, glowing lights, and a whole crowd of Christmas trees, and the place turns into pure holiday magic. The building has served as a public house since the 1890s....

Chicago, IL · 1d
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everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Buffet Serves Crab Legs, Crawfish, And Sushi All You Can Eat

Crab legs, crawfish, and sushi share the same buffet lines at one suburban spot. Add a made-to-order hibachi grill, and the plate math gets complicated fast. This Illinois buffet keeps things refreshingly simple. Lunch costs less than dinner, a drink comes included, and you can build your own stir-fry while a cook fires it up in front of you.

Downers Grove, IL · 2d
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everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Donut Shop Still Fries Its Huge Apple Fritters Fresh In The Window, Just Like Always

An apple fritter roughly the size of your face comes out of a fryer in a shop window, and the man flipping it opened the place in 1972. He was 85 in 2024. He still works six days a week. The fritters get stuffed with apple chunks and cinnamon. Then...

Chicago, IL · 5d
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NBC Chicago

publisher · 127.3K followers

One of Chicago's most beloved spots for burgers, hot dogs opens in southwest suburb

One of Chicago's most beloved spots to snag a burger or hot dog opened a new location in a southwest suburb this week. Redhot Ranch opened at 60 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove on Tuesday, bringing a new late-night food option to the area. Open daily from 10:30 a.m. until...

Chicago, IL · 2d

ABC 7 Chicago

partner publisher · 193.2K followers

Shedd Aquarium shares new details about what led to deaths of 2 beluga whales

Chicago's Shedd Aquarium is sharing new details about what led to the deaths of two beluga whales.

Chicago, IL · 4d

southwestregionalpublishing.com

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Orland Park to demolish former garden center, restaurant

A few eyesores in Orland Park are coming down. The Village of Orland Park Board of Trustees voted at the Oct. 19 meeting to award Markham-based KLF Enterprises a pair of contracts for demolition of buildings on the properties of 15151 Harlem Ave. and buildings on 17101 and 17171 Wolf Road.

Orland Park, IL · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Farmers Market Moves Indoors For Winter, So Your Sunday Produce Run Never Stops

Snow on the boulevard doesn’t cancel this Sunday market. When winter hits, the whole thing simply heads indoors and keeps going. I love that idea. Your weekly bread, eggs, and cheese haul doesn’t have to pause just because Illinois decided to freeze solid for a few months. In...

Chicago, IL · 1d

Riverside Brookfield Landmark

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Vegan on Broadway is Brookfield’s newest street fest

Whether you’re a lifelong vegan or just want to break from an omnivorous diet for the first time, Brookfield’s newest street event is for you. The inaugural Vegan on Broadway event, featuring live music and vendors selling vegan hot food, vegan baked goods, vegan snacks to take home, jewelry, merchandise and more, was held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Brookfield Shops and along Broadway Avenue. A second installment is scheduled for this Saturday, Nov. 7, at the same time.

Brookfield, IL · 15h

unearththevoyage.com

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This Low-Key Illinois Supper Club Still Grills Steaks The Old-Fashioned Way For Loyal Regulars

Some of the best meals in Illinois happen in rooms that look like they have not changed in decades, and that is exactly the point. You walk in expecting a simple steak dinner and walk out talking about the piano, the white jackets, and a slice of cake the size of a hatbox.

Chicago, IL · 5d

takingthekids.com

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We Ranked The Best Italian Beef In Illinois And These 7 Spots Made The Cut

A sandwich stand on a busy Chicago street became the filming spot for a hit TV show, and its business reportedly more than doubled. That is the kind of pull an Italian beef sandwich has in Illinois. The idea goes back about a century. Thin-sliced roast beef gets soaked in...

Illinois · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

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Craving Real Paczki? These 8 Illinois Polish Bakeries Fill Them Fresh Every Morning

You might walk past a plain little storefront a hundred times before the smell of warm, sugared dough finally pulls you inside. Then you bite into a pillowy paczki stuffed with jam or cream, and suddenly that ordinary corner feels like a secret you need to protect. Illinois has a...

Illinois · 1d

fwrnews.com

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New Lenox Coming to the Crossroads: Fieldhouse, Hotels … More $$

When the Wintrust Sports Complex two years ago, Mayor Tim Baldermann hoped it would be as successful as they planned. “It already has exceeded our expectations,” Baldermann said. “They say these operations take a few years to break even. This already has paid for itself. We’re in the black.”

New Lenox, IL · 1d

thelansingjournal.org

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Lansing History: More than a bakery, Calumet Bakery brings old-fashioned sweetness to Lansing

LANSING, Ill. — When Matthew (Matt) G. Pocernich opened his small bakery in Chicago’s South Deering neighborhood, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president of the United States. Pocernich had arrived in America from Croatia in the 1920s, and he faced the Depression with hard work and basic baking skills that he turned into a thriving family business that has lasted for three generations.

Lansing, IL · 6d

everafterinthewoods.com

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8 Old-School Illinois Bowling Alleys Where Shoes, Lanes And Food Still Cost Like 1985

A bowling alley in Illinois started out as a 1911 garage, and it later became a filming location for Groundhog Day. Yes, the Bill Murray one, and I can’t stop smiling at that detail. Another spot rolls on 12 wood lanes beneath a historic theater. A third still keeps...

Illinois · 12h

Parade

partner publisher · 862.1K followers

In 1893, a Woman Born Into Slavery Made Pancakes at the World’s Fair and Became the Country’s First Living Brand Ambassador; She Was Buried in an Unmarked Grave

Born into slavery in Kentucky. Made pancakes at the 1893 World’s Fair for 27 million visitors. Became the country’s first ever living brand ambassador. Buried in an unmarked grave. The brand she made famous lasted 130 more years.

Chicago, IL · 16h

familydestinationsguide.com

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Score Free Homemade Greek Doughnuts With Every Meal At This Nostalgic Illinois Diner Everyone Loves

There’s a diner in North Riverside, Illinois, that’s been quietly winning hearts one free Greek doughnut at a time, and somehow the rest of the world hasn’t caught on yet. That place is Yia Yia’s Pancake House, and the moment you find out what comes complimentary with...

North Riverside, IL · 5d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Family-Run Illinois Seafood Counter Has Guarded Its Secret Red Batter Since 1951

A secret red batter coats the fried scallops at one Illinois seafood counter, and the family still won’t share the recipe. That alone made me curious. The same family has run this place since 1951. Their roots in the fish business go back even further, to Great Lakes commercial fishing in the 1930s.

Des Plaines, IL · 5d