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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 · 3h

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 · 6h
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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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fastfoodclub.com

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Since 1938, Russell’s Barbecue In Elmwood Park Has Served Beef Sandwiches From The Same Pit

Some families pass down recipes, and some pass down a favorite booth. Just west of Chicago, there is a barbecue counter where grandparents, parents, and kids have all ordered the same beef sandwich across many decades. The place opened in 1938, long before drive-thrus and self-serve soda machines were common,...

Elmwood Park, IL · 2d
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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 · 1d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Old-Fashioned Illinois Candy Shop Still Makes Its Own Fudge And Caramel Apples In A Nostalgic Little Shop

Caramel apples come with a choice of fruit at one little Illinois candy counter: tart Granny Smith or sweet Honeycrisp. That decision alone could stall a family for ten minutes. Then you spot the bear claws, the cheese popcorn, and the chocolate-dipped apricots. The fudge is made in house, the...

Chicago, IL · 2d

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 · 20h

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 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

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

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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Since 1958, This Family-Run Illinois Italian Market Has Pulled Fresh Bread From The Oven Every Three Hours

I walked in for one loaf of bread and walked out with two heavy bags and a warm paper sack I could not stop sniffing. From the parking lot, it looks like any busy grocery store in Illinois. Inside, it feels like a small Italian town packed under one roof,...

Elmwood Park, IL · 6d

everafterinthewoods.com

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Over 100 Years Later, Fluky’s Original Spirit Lives On In This Chicago Hot Dog Counter

The hot dog brand that claims it invented the Chicago-style dog now serves lunch inside a Walmart. Yes, really, right there between the shopping carts and the checkout lanes. That same name started on a bustling Chicago street corner back when a full hot dog meal cost pocket change. During the Great Depression, it even fed hungry folks who couldn’t spare a coin.

Chicago, IL · 3d

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

southwestregionalpublishing.com

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Orland Park’s Stellwagen Farm may house bee hives

The buzz around town is to not have buzzing too close to town. The Village of Orland Park is looking at a municipal community beekeeping apiary pilot area and prefers to use Stellwagen Farm for its location. At the Oct. 19 Committee of the Whole Meeting, Recreation and Parks Director...

Orland Park, IL · 2d

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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This Family-Run Illinois Italian Market Still Bakes Its Bread Fresh And Piles Subs High For Under $10

A 9-inch Italian beef from this deli can show up looking more like a 12-inch one. That’s the kind of generous surprise that gets an old-school Illinois sandwich counter talked about across the city. The beef comes from a family recipe, and it can arrive fully dipped and dripping....

Chicago, IL · 23h

CBS Chicago

partner publisher · 230.7K followers

Soul Train Awards held in Chicago for the first time

Thursday night was a homecoming for one of Chicago's cultural treasures, as the Soul Train Awards arrived in the city where the iconic show originated. The taping of the awards show brought stars to the Loop.

Chicago, IL · 19h

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 · 2d