<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>Get excited because Portillo’s is opening up a location in Lake Buena Vista. Now, if you reside in the Orlando area or crave a delicious hot dog while you’re staying at Disney World, you have the perfect place! However you can also find Portillo’s closer to home in Brandon (1748 W. Brandon Blvd) and Tampa (2102 E Fowler Ave).
About Portillo’s
Portillo’s first restaurant opened in 1963, yes, 1963 in Villa Park, Illinois. The owner and founder, Dick Portillo invested $1,100 into a trailer with no running water to start his dream and named it “The Dog House.” As popularity continues, “The Dog House” moves in ’67 to a brand new building and there it’s renamed “Portillo’s”. Flash forward to 1985, Portillo’s has opened a drive-thru in Downers Grove, IL, and is now featured in Forbes Magazine as Dick Portillo was deemed an “Up and Comer”! Surprisingly, the franchise doesn’t leave Illinois until 2005 and heads to California. Just a few years later, Portillo’s takes its name to Indiana, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, and Minnesota! We Floridian’s are one of the few lucky states to experience Portillo’s and now we’ll have another great location to choose from!
The Menu
If you haven’t caught on yet, Portillo’s is a haven for Midwestern delicacies. Enjoy hot dogs, chili, sausage/beef sandwiches, burgers, salads, ribs, pasta, and more! Order the Jumbo Hot Dog which features a thicker dog with mustard, relish, celery salt, onions, red ripe tomatoes, pickle and sport peppers. Not feeling like a hot dog? Check out the Italian Beef Sandwich. This bad boy is a Portillo’s favorite and is quite famous with Chicago’s #1 Italian Beef on baked French bread.
About the New Location
In just about a year, Portillo’s will be opening its doors on the corner of Palm Parkway and Daryl Carter Blvd as a part of Unicorp National Developments’ Village at O-Town West Development in LBV. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the restaurant plans to open late 2020. “Portillo’s is excited to expand our Florida footprint to the Orlando-area,” Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo said in a news release the Sentinel posted. “Our forthcoming location at Village at O-Town West will put us directly in front of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, while also serving the large number of Midwest ex-pats in the area.”
Chuck Whittal, president of Unicorp National Developments told the Orange Observer that “Our company strives to partner with tenants that can help showcase the area as a world-class destination for visitors. Portillo’s will be a great addition to our stellar dining options here in Lake Buena Vista.”
Are you ready? Check back here for any updates and release dates.