Portillo's plans to come to Gurnee

Portillo's Hot Dogs plans to open a restaurant in Gurnee.

Mayor Kristina Kovarik confirmed that Portillo's Restaurant Group applied for a permit with the village on Thursday. The restaurant would be in the former Applebee's location at 6447 Grand Ave., she said.

“It's a big first step,” she said. “We've wanted a Portillo's for a really long time.”

The company will need to go through the process for a special use permit and go through approval with the plan commission before it can open later this year.

“We're in the very early stages,” Kovarik said. “There's a long road ahead.” The Gurnee location would be the farthest north the restaurant has ventured in Illinois, with the next- closest locations in Vernon Hills or Crystal Lake.

Representatives from Portillo's Restaurant Group were not available to comment on Thursday night.