Demolition to begin June 1 to clear spot for new Portillo’s restaurant in Avondale

Portillo’s is expected to begin construction soon on its third Chicago location. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Portillo’s is finally coming to the North Side.

The beloved hot dog chain will begin demolishing a building — at the intersection of Addison Street and Kimball Avenue in Avondale — on June 1 to clear a spot to build its third Chicago location, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

Portillo’s already operates 39 restaurants throughout northeast Illinois, but its only two establishments within the city are both close to downtown: one in River North, and one in the Near West Side.

The new location will bring the chain’s popular array of American food to a new sector of Chicagoans.

“We expect this to be a really great anchor for the Avondale community,” Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) said. “Residents are very excited.”

A demolition permit was issued by the City of Chicago last week for the large, low-slung building — which formerly housed a taxi company — that currently occupies the block.

The aging building at 3349 W. Addison St. (top) will be demolished and a new Portillo’s restaurant (bottom) will be built in its place.

The new restaurant, originally announced in January 2019, will be more than 9,000 square feet and include seating for 280 guests, an outdoor patio and a drive-thru window. Inside, its posters and decorations will feature a Prohibition theme.

Ramirez-Rosa said the Portillo’s will employ more than 100 people and attract consumers to an area that has shifted from a manufacturing focus to a retail and restaurant focus over time.

Initially founded at a single Villa Park location by Dick Portillo in 1963, Portillo’s was sold to Berkshire Partners in 2014 for nearly $1 billion. TripAdvisor ranked the Portillo’s in River North the best fast casual restaurant in the country in 2018.