Portillo’s is expanding to Champaign to be able to serve up their famed hot dogs to the Fighting Illini.
The company announced Thursday it plans to break ground on a new location at 2306 N. Prospect Ave., near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, in the coming months.
“We’ve been peppered with requests to come to Champaign for years, and feel that this location offers a great mix of customers, from the commercial and residential neighbors, to the student population,” says Portillo’s CEO Keith Kinsey.
The 9,850-square-foot storefront will hold seating for over 200 guests, including a seasonal outdoor patio, and have double drive-thru lanes, according to a Portillo’s spokesperson.
“As an alum of the University of Illinois, bringing Portillo’s to Champaign will be especially fun,” Kinsey said. “We look forward to cementing the brand in this vibrant community.”
It hopes to open the new restaurant in early 2017.
