Portillo's Staff, Owner Ready For Sept. 28 Fishers Opening

FISHERS, IN – Central Indiana's first Portillo's location officially opens Thursday, Sept. 28 in Fishers, but employees and food fans from across the area were treated to one of the new business' free pre-opening "sneak peek meals" on Tuesday. What better person to greet employees and other sneak-peek participants than Mr. Dick Portillo himself, the founder of the hugely successful Chicago area-based restaurant chain. It was a warm Tuesday morning, but Mr. Portillo eagerly stood in front of an exact replica of his original hot dog stand, The Dog House, and told excited guests how he and his wife, Sharon, opened the business on April 5, 1963 in Villa Park, Illinois.

Mr. Portillo said his wife's dream was to have a home with a white picket fence. He invested $1,100 into a 6' x 12' trailer, and said he ran 250 feet of water hose into the small business that had no running water or bathroom. Today, there are more than 50 Portillo's locations across seven states. You could say his wife got her wish, and more.

"It's good to be here," Portillo said. "It's our second location in Indiana, I'm excited about it."

Mayor Scott Fadness also voiced his excitement about the well-known restaurant business coming to the city, and welcomed Mr. Portillo to Fishers, calling him "an entrepreneurial legend."

The 9201 E. 116th Street restaurant will open Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m.

Whether a loyal customer from other locations or a first-timer, Mr. Portillo met people who've been waiting for this Central Indiana location to open. For people traveling from Chicago, this Fishers restaurant means a new choice between stopping at the Merrillville, Indiana location or waiting until they get to the 116th exit on I-69 N. There, you can dine-in thanks to hundreds of seats, or go through the spacious drive-thru.

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You can spot a Portillo's bag from a mile away if you know what you're looking for, thanks to his previous dog, named Pokey. Portillo said he wanted a dog house as the original logo but that it was already taken. But one look at his dachshund, and he knew what to do.

The company began hiring staff members for the Fishers location over the summer. On Tuesday, the group of employees were attentive, working hard and on their toes as they tended to the load of customers, Mr. Portillo, Mayor Scott Fadness and Portillo's CEO Keith Kinsey. The company wants people and its team members to know about the care and opportunity Portillo's has for its employees.

"It goes back to the grassroots of what Dick Portillo started with," Kinsey said. "It's about people, respect."

Mr. Portillo said no matter your position or years with the company, the same standards are held for all when it comes to service, attitude and respect.

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Kinsey said the company is having a dinner next month to celebrate team members who've been with Portillo's for 10 or more years. He said they're even celebrating a 50-year anniversary, Mr. Portillo's first secretary.

Kinsey added that they want to understand their team member's lives and to help them develop their skills beyond just basic restaurant efforts. This includes teaching employees teamwork skills, how to operate different parts of the business and restaurant and knowing that "The sky's the limit."

"That to me is lost in so many other businesses," Kinsey said. "It shows with the people and the people that have been with us a long time."

50 years and probably too many quality Portillo's meals to count.

Mr. Portillo said he's gotten inspiration for several of his menu recipes, including the sausage, Italian beef and more from dinner memories as a child and some of his Chicago favorites.

Portillo's signature bread comes from what the founder calls the "best products he can get" after taking a "long time getting what I wanted."

We have his daughter-in-law to thank for Portillo's famous chocolate cake recipe, which Mr. Portillo said are baked in the restaurant, millions every year.

The restaurant chain's recipes and successes are protected by a business model Mr. Portillo compares to a moat surrounding a medieval castle, blocking the inhabitant's enemies. He said the moat is a symbol for how complex his business is, and how it fends off competition.

"I thought to compete with the big guns, I couldn't take the easy way out, I had to make it something so unique, and different and difficult to copy," Mr. Portillo said. "Portillo's moat keeps the competition away

Whatever you order at the new Fishers location, or any Portillo's location, know it's prepared in a quality manner, with quality ingredients, as Mr. Portillo's isn't a fan of shortcuts.

The only shortcuts he prefers and understands are the way a customer's order is written down. Next time you visit a Portillo's make sure to take a look at how the employees write down your order, and know this quick, shortened style is due to the amount of items on the menu and the many ways they can be prepared.

"It (the writing form) was by necessity," Mr. Portillo said. Adding that certain brands still needs a certain human knowledge, aside from the technology used.

So when you choose to visit Portillo's new Fishers location, just know it probably won't be your last.

Photo credit: Rebecca Bream, Patch