On Tuesday, April 12, Portillo’s announced on its website that its hot dogs, burgers, and fries are making their way down to Tucson by the end of the year.
More specifically, the restaurant is moving in at the El Con Center — joining others in the area like In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A — but an exact address has yet to be revealed. The parking lot over there, being that it was a shopping mall at one point, is definitely large enough to hold the restaurant’s traffic.
Portillo’s is going to be designed with a vintage diner theme and is estimated to be a 7,800-square-foot restaurant with a double drive-thru lane.
The first Arizona location opened up in Scottsdale back in 2012 and has since expanded to three others in the Phoenix area. The menu includes beef and sausage sandwiches, burgers, Chicago-style hot dogs, milkshakes, crinkle fries, and even salads.
Portillo’s started in 1963 when Dick Portillo invested $1,100 into a small trailer to open his first hot dog stand in Villa Park, IL, which he called “The Dog House.” As of today, the company has more than 70 locations spread out across nine states.
For more information, visit portillos.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
