Fans of Portillo’s Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches might not have to drive to Tampa or Brandon after next year.
Portillo’s first Orlando-area restaurant is planned for the corner of Palm Parkway and Daryl Carter Boulevard as part of Unicorp National Developments’ Village at O-Town West development in Lake Buena Vista near Walt Disney World. The restaurant is aiming for an opening in late 2020.
Diners with a connection to the Midwest will be drawn to the restaurant for its customer favorites like its chocolate cake, served in a diner atmosphere with booths and nostalgic decorations. The first Portillo’s hot dog stand opened in Villa Park, Ill., in 1963 and the chain now has more than 60 restaurants.
Menu items also include burgers, salads and draft beer.
The 7,800-square-foot restaurant, which will have a double drive-through, will be the third for the chain in Florida.
“Portillo’s is excited to expand our Florida footprint to the Orlando-area,” Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo said in a news release. “Our forthcoming location at Village at O-Town West will put us directly in front of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, while also serving the large number of Midwest expats in the area.”
afuller@orlandosentinel.com
