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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 · 1d

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 · 3d
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everafterinthewoods.com

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This Old-School Illinois Butcher Shop Still Cuts From Hanging Cattle And Makes Over 80 Sausages

A carved wooden pig head hands out your number at the door. That’s how your visit starts at one of the most beloved butcher counters in Illinois. The kitchen behind the counter turns out more than 80 kinds of sausages and brats. A smokehouse adds more than 10 kinds of homemade bacon to the lineup.

Chicago, IL · 18h
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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 · 6d
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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 · 2d

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 · 3d

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 · 3d

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 · 3d

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 · 2d

Q985

partner publisher · 3.8K followers

Illinois Joint Lands On Global List Of 50 Best Burgers On Earth

One Illinois joint made a list of the 50 best burgers on Earth, rubbing elbows with Tokyo and Dublin.

Illinois · 2d

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 · 2d

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 · 2d

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 · 6d

mariajackson27magazine.com

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Christmas at the Oasis Brings a Night of Gospel Music to Chicago

Greenwood Oasis and the Black Promoters Collective will present Christmas at the Oasis, a night of joy, music, and holiday wonder, on Friday, December 11, at 7:00 PM. The event takes place at 7621 S. Greenwood Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The lineup features Tye Tribbett, Donald Lawrence & Company, Bishop...

Chicago, IL · 22h

WBBM News Radio

partner publisher · 61.7K followers

Bobcat recovering at DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center

Bobcat recovering at DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center

Oregon, IL · 1d

fastfoodclub.com

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Long Before Brunch Was Trendy, Smoque BBQ Was Already Selling Out Of Brisket In Chicago

Chicago gets plenty of credit for deep dish, hot dogs, and Italian beef. Barbecue usually lands lower on the list, and that is exactly the problem one small Northwest Side kitchen set out to fix back in 2006. Its founders were so serious about the mission that they wrote a...

Chicago, IL · 12h

everafterinthewoods.com

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Swedish Pancakes With Lingonberries Still Anchor Breakfast At This Andersonville Diner In Chicago, Illinois

A Viking breakfast in Illinois comes with falukorv sausage, eggs, potatoes, and thin Swedish pancakes topped with lingonberries. That combination alone made me sit up straight. The room matches the plate. Swedish folk art fills the walls, and whimsical tablecloths cover small tables in a cozy blue and yellow space.

Chicago, IL · 1d