Hundreds line up for Portillo's opening at Gurnee Mills
Joe Kahn got to taste the Italian beef of his labor at the newest Portillo's that opened Tuesday in Gurnee.
At least a couple hundred fans were in line at the Portillo's before it debuted at 10:30 a.m. on the perimeter of Gurnee Mills northeast of Bass Pro Shops.
For Kahn, the Portillo's opening marked the successful end to a Facebook campaign he launched about three years ago that received thousands of followers in support of bringing Portillo's to the village. Kahn, who started the campaign while a Gurnee resident, now lives in Lindenhurst.
Restaurant founder Dick Portillo and chief executive officer Keith Kinsey stopped by Kahn's table to pose for pictures with him and acknowledged his role in the iconic eatery locating on the perimeter of Gurnee Mills.
"We're very happy to have Portillo's here in Gurnee," Kahn said after devouring his beef with peppers and fries. "It's been a long effort, but they've got the best beef in the world, awesome chocolate-cake shakes and good Maxwell Street Polish. So, life is good."
Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik was part of the throng and sheepishly admitted she ordered a hot dog with mustard, relish and the dreaded ketchup. She added she was allowed the ketchup because she's not a Chicago-area native.
"It's better than I envisioned it," Kovarik said of the restaurant while waiting for her order. "It's beautiful. It's going to be so phenomenally successful. It was worth all the stress, all the late nights, all the hair pulling, all the pressure on staff to make sure this happened. It's all worth it."
Kinsey said the village makes business sense for Portillo's because of a strong residential base and attractions, such as Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America, along with proximity to Great Lakes Naval Station near North Chicago.
Along with a company market analysis, Facebook groups such as those started by Kahn are considered by Portillo's before deciding where to open new restaurants, Kinsey said.
"I think that helps us make sure we're going to the places where people really know who we're all about," Kinsey said as the crowd filed in. "And I think that adds to that success profile for Portillo's. And with that much kind of (Facebook) excitement already built up, it's easy to just dovetail off that."
Portillo beamed at the opening and talked to fans inside and outside of the eatery. He was addressing the roughly 200 jobs created at the Gurnee establishment and the trickle-down, positive economic effects on other businesses when 8-year-old Cole Halverson of Gurnee, who was accompanied by his mother, Danielle, approached to thank him for the new restaurant.
"I like the beef sandwiches," Cole said after receiving a warm reception from Portillo.
Gurnee village board members in July approved an agreement to reimburse Gurnee Mills to develop the Portillo's site.
Under the deal, the village must pay up to $1.2 million from its general fund for utility and other work associated with the preparations. Anything beyond that amount, up to $1.425 million, would involve sales tax sharing,
Gurnee Mills general manager Randy Ebertowski said Portillo's will be a boon to the regional mall.
"This is huge," Ebertowski said. "This is the biggest opening we're going to have this year. It's something that's a community favorite and something the community wanted, and I can't tell you how thrilled we are that we could bring it to Gurnee Mills."
Portillo's had been considering a move into a former Applebee's restaurant near Gurnee Mills on Grand Avenue, but the deal didn't materialize earlier this year, village officials said. Ebertowski said Gurnee Mills, parent company Simon Property Group Inc., Portillo's and village representatives negotiated a tentative agreement in about 30 days.
Kinsey said a typical Portillo's has about $7 million in annual sales.