Business & Tech
Maple Grove Petition: Let Portillo's Bring Us Hot Dogs
Even after the city council's rejection, the fight to bring a Portillo's to Maple Grove continues.
MAPLE GROVE, MN — Maple Grove and other Twin Cities residents are mad, and they're not going to take it anymore. Adam Wells, a resident of Saint Paul, has started petition to bring a Portillo's restaurant to Maple Grove. What is Portillo's, you might ask?
It's a popular Chicago-based hot dog restaurant. It's expected to open its first Minnesota location in Woodbury this summer.
Last week, the Maple Grove City Council voted 2-3 against Portillo’s and its plans to build a location in the city. The council then directed the city attorney to draft a resolution of denial.
Find out what's happening in Maple Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In addition to loss of parking and motor vehicle congestion, local lawmakers rejected the plans primarily because they believed the restaurant would not bring enough pedestrians to the The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes.
Maple Grove Portillo's: Here's Who Voted For (And Against) It.
Find out what's happening in Maple Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
But the fight may not be over yet. And here's why Portillo's advocate Adam Wells thinks you should sign his petition:
The reasoning of the three members voting against it is that they were skeptical that the restuarant would be a "destination" that would drive more foot traffic to the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, which is the proposed location of the Portillo's restaurant and a shopping area that has been struggling financially in recent years.
Portillo's is a great restaurant serving great tasting quality food. I myself always make it a priority to visit whenever I am traveling to an area with a Portillo's location nearby. I believe people will come to Portillo's and stay for the shopping nearby, especially in the nicer weather months of summer and early fall.
The City Council is meeting again on April 17 to vote on a denial order to make the decision final. I have created this petition as a way to show support for a Portillo's restaurant as a future destination for the people of Maple Grove and surrounding cities.
As of 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, the petition has 1,084 supporters. The petition will be delivered to the Maple Grove City Council and mayor.
Read the entire Maple Grove Portillo's petition here.
Image via Google Streetview
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
