Portillo's Reveals Joliet Grand Opening Date For Larkin Ave.

JOLIET, IL — Joliet's biggest construction project along Larkin Avenue is one of high interest to tens of thousands of area residents. A one-of-a-kind of Portillo's Pick Up restaurant will feature not one, not two, but three drive-thru lanes.

Joliet's first Portillo's is slated to open during the first week of February, according to Preston Funkhouser, vice president of construction and facilities for Portillo's. Joliet will become the first Portillo's in Illinois to have a triple drive-thru lane.

The first triple drive-thru is set to open in Madison, Wisconsin, in late November. However, the one in Madison features a full-size dining room, unlike Joliet.

During Tuesday's phone interview from Madison, Funkhouser told Patch the Joliet Portillo's construction is about 45 percent completed. Portillo's wants to be open in early February, he said.

"We could probably open mid-January, but we want to give ourselves enough time to train the staff," Funkhouser told Joliet Patch.

He said Joliet's third lane of the drive-thru will be for customers who order online. The new Joliet's restaurant at 1444 North Larkin Ave. will not have a dining room. There will, however, be a small lobby area for customers wanting to pick up their carryout meals.

Patch asked Funkhouser if the Joliet Portillo's has gone according to plan.

"We're clawing back," he said. "We lost eight days to rain. We're working with our contractors and subcontractors to buy back some time."

The Portillo's vice president said his company has not announced any additional triple drive-thru locations since unveiling the Joliet Portillo's Pick Up, which is the first in the nation for the company.

"It's a test," Funkhouser said. "We think it's going to increase capacity and decrease the wait time. We don't have any more being built right now, so we'll see how this goes."

A few weeks ago, Funkhouser drove to the Shorewood Portillo's on Route 59 where he set his clock to see how fast he could order and get through the double drive-thru.

When he arrived at the Shorewood Portillo's, Funkhouser said he counted at least 20 cars ahead of him. He said he treated the Joliet construction workers to 13 cheeseburgers and 13 fries. The one diet Coke, he said, he got for himself.

He placed his order at 11:45 a.m. and "I was in and out of that drive-thru in five-and-a-half minutes," he said. "I was impressed."

On Wednesday, Tom White, executive director of the Three Rivers Construction Alliance in Joliet, said all of the labor issues involving the Portillo's project have been resolved.

On Sept. 21, Joliet Patch reported that Local Laborers #75 had placed an inflatable rat in front of the Portillo's construction site because two non-union companies from St. Charles and Inverness were working on the site.

Nowadays, Portillo's has 10 different union contractors building the Joliet restaurant on North Larkin Avenue, White said.

These union contractors are:

• Richard Kubinski Excavating
• Indicom Electric
• Carbone Plumbing
• Joe's Masonry
• Associated Constructors
• Legacy Steel Erectors
• Denning HVAC
• WBR Roofing
• B&B Concrete
• Frontrunner Systems

"We are pleased that Portillo's chose to use union contractors to build their new project," White said. "As always, we support those who support us, and we look forward to this new Portillo's location opening."

So, how many vehicles does Portillo's expect to fit into its triple drive-thru when it opens in February? The answer is 54.

According to Funkhouser, the first two lanes can accommodate 31 total vehicles. The third lane, for online-only customers, can handle another 23.

Portillo's plans to hire 80 employees for its new Joliet restaurant. Portillo's hiring trailer could appear on the construction site in early January.

"We're just super excited to be able to move into Joliet," Funkhouser told Patch.