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You’ve seen the lines. Those winding, double-lane snakes of cars wrapping around a Portillo’s at 12:15 PM on a Tuesday. It’s a Midwest rite of passage, honestly. But lately, something has shifted in how the beef-and-dog giant is building its empire. If you’ve driven past Orland Park or Plainfield recently, you might have noticed a Portillo's that looks… well, a bit skinny.
That’s because it is.
The brand is leaning hard into the Portillo's pick-up location concept, a digital-first, no-dining-room model that basically says: "We know you just want your cake shake and beef, and we know you want it now." This isn't just a tiny experiment anymore. It's a fundamental pivot in how one of the country's most successful fast-casual chains thinks about real estate and your lunch hour.
The Plainfield Evolution: A 2026 Game Changer
Just this month—January 2026—the buzz around the Plainfield opening has reached a fever pitch. Located near the corner of 135th Street and Route 59, this is the company's fourth official "Pick-Up Only" spot. It follows the blueprints laid down by the pioneers in Joliet, Rosemont, and Orland Park.
But what's the big deal?
Basically, there is zero indoor seating. None. You can't walk in and grab a red-checkered table. Instead, the building is a highly tuned machine designed to move Italian beef sandwiches from a 47-foot production line into your car window as fast as humanly possible.
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The Plainfield site redeveloped an old PNC Bank building. It’s a smart move. Banks already have the drive-thru infrastructure, and Portillo’s is basically the only brand with enough "gravity" to pull people into a lot just to pick up a bag of food they ordered on an app three minutes prior.
How the "Restaurant of the Future" Actually Works
Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo hasn't been shy about why these locations exist. They call it the "Restaurant of the Future 1.0." It sounds a bit like marketing fluff, but the numbers back it up.
A traditional Portillo’s is massive—often over 11,000 square feet. They are expensive to build, expensive to air condition, and require a small army to staff. The new pick-up locations, like the one in Rosemont near O'Hare, are significantly smaller. We’re talking roughly half the size, usually around 6,000 square feet or less.
- Three Drive-Thru Lanes: Most of these spots feature triple lanes. One or two are for the "on-the-fly" orders, and often a dedicated lane is reserved for those who pre-ordered via the Portillo’s app.
- The "Speedway" Theme: Since there’s no dining room to decorate with 1950s memorabilia, they’ve leaned into a "Turbocharged" racing aesthetic. Think bold LED stripes and a "pit lane" vibe.
- Inside Pick-Up: You can go inside, but only to grab a bag from a shelf. It’s a "hit the door, grab the bag, leave" scenario.
The efficiency is staggering. By cutting out the dining room, they’ve slashed build costs to under $5 million per unit, which, in the world of high-end fast casual, is a bargain.
Why This Matters for Your Lunch Break
Let’s be real. Sometimes you want the experience—the smell of the grill, the noisy dining room, the weirdly charming kitsch on the walls. But most of the time? You're in a rush.
The Portillo's pick-up location solves the "cannibalization" problem. For years, Portillo's wouldn't open locations too close together because they didn't want to steal customers from themselves. But with the pick-up model, they can "in-fill" markets.
If you live in Plainfield, you used to have to drive to Shorewood or Joliet. Now, you have a dedicated "satellite" location that offloads the pressure from those bigger restaurants. It’s better for the staff at the big houses, and it’s way better for you because you aren't waiting behind thirty people who decided to have a family reunion in the booth next to the ketchup station.
The Strategy Beyond Illinois
While the pick-up only model is currently an Illinois specialty, the "Restaurant of the Future" logic is spreading. In 2025 and heading into 2026, Portillo's has been aggressive in the Sunbelt.
Texas is getting a massive influx. We’re seeing construction crews active in Schertz, just outside San Antonio, right now in early 2026. Florida is also getting its eighth location in Lutz. Even though these southern locations often include dining rooms, they are using the smaller 6,250-square-foot footprint perfected by the pick-up locations.
They’ve realized that 11,000 square feet is overkill.
Interestingly, Portillo's CFO Michelle Hook recently noted that they "got a little ahead of their skis" in Houston by opening too many spots too fast in 2024. This led to a "strategic reset" in late 2025. The result? A more measured opening schedule—about eight new restaurants for 2026—with a heavy emphasis on these smaller, high-efficiency models.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Pick-Up Model
There’s a common misconception that "Pick-Up Only" means "Lower Quality." People assume if it’s fast, they’re cutting corners on the beef.
That’s not the case.
The production line inside these "skinny" locations is actually the same size as the ones in the massive restaurants. The "47-foot production line" is the holy grail for Portillo’s. It’s the same equipment, the same slow-roasted beef, and the same weirdly specific way they steam the poppy seed buns.
The only thing missing is the janitor having to mop the floor under Table 14.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Visit
If you’re planning to hit the new Plainfield location or the Orland Park spot, don't just wing it.
Use the App. Honestly. The whole point of these locations is digital integration. If you show up and try to order at the window like it's 1995, you're missing the point. The "Portillo's Perks" program hit over 2 million users at the end of 2025 because it actually works. You get targeted offers, but more importantly, you get to bypass the "I don't know what I want" crowd.
Check the Lanes. Most of these new sites have specific signage for app orders. Look for the lane that feels "empty." It’s usually the one dedicated to those who already paid.
Timing is Everything. Even with three lanes, 12:00 PM is 12:00 PM. If you can push your "beef run" to 1:30 PM, you will breeze through in under three minutes.
What to Expect Next
Expect more of this. Portillo’s has a long-term goal of 900 locations. They are only at about 102 right now. To hit that 900 mark, they can't build 11,000-square-foot monuments in every suburb.
You’re going to see these pick-up hubs popping up in "high-gravity" areas—places where you already shop or commute. They are also eyeing airport locations, with the first-ever Portillo’s airport spot scheduled for DFW later this year.
The era of the "Mega-Portillo's" isn't over, but the era of the "Convenient Portillo's" is definitely here. Whether you’re in the Chicago suburbs or the outskirts of San Antonio, the way you get your hot dog is becoming a lot more like a pit stop and a lot less like a sit-down affair.
To make the most of the new format, download the Portillo's app before your next trip to the Plainfield or Orland Park locations. Set your "Favorite Store" to the pick-up spot to see real-time menu availability—sometimes the smaller footprint means a slightly more streamlined menu, though the heavy hitters like the beef and the chocolate cake are always there. Check your "Perks" tab for the "surprise and delight" rewards that the company has been pushing heavily throughout 2026.