April 28--Portillo's Hot Dogs will open a restaurant in Normal, home of Illinois State University, in 2017, the Oak Brook-based restaurant chain announced Thursday morning.
Details are scant. There's no set location or opening date at this point, said Nick Scarpino, Portillo's spokesman. It will be the 48th location for the popular purveyor of Chicago-style food.
"We've been getting requests to come to Bloomington-Normal for a very long time," Scarpino said. "We're happy to finally say yes."
That sound you hear may be the distant cheering of Redbirds. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 5,860 people had "liked" a Facebook group titled "Bring Portillo's to Bloomington-Normal Illinois."
Some of those people likely were disappointed on April Fool's Day last year when Illinois State University's school newspaper, the Vidette, ran a prank story about Portillo's coming to town. The admission of fakery was buried at the bottom of the story: "Just kidding! ... This is completely satirical in nature and in no way reflects actual events."
Scarpino said the phones at corporate headquarters were "ringing off the hook" following the hoax.
On Thursday, Portillo's announced the news on its Facebook page and via full-page ads in the Pantagraph, the paper of record in the Bloomington-Normal area, and the Vidette.
Currently, there are 42 Portillo's locations with more openings coming in Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida by the end of the year. The newest Chicago location, at Canal and Taylor streets, will open on May 31, Scarpino said.
Bummed-out University of Illinois students may be heartened to know that Portillo's is in the process of scouting more locations in central Illinois, including Champaign.
gtrotter@tribpub.com
