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Portillo's trims corporate jobs as it slows real estate expansion
The chain said it cut 18% of corporate employees at its Oak Brook headquarters, and plans only one additional store in Chicago this year.
Portillo's is reducing its corporate workforce as it slows its real estate expansion, the company said in a release Wednesday. The restaurant chain cut 18% of its corporate employees at its suburban Oak Brook headquarters and also laid off a small number of field management roles, while saying the reductions did not affect restaurant-level workers, according to Bisnow.
Portillo's CEO Brett Patterson linked the staffing moves to the costs and pace of recent growth into other markets. The company opened three restaurants in the second quarter and four in the first, all in Texas, and plans to open one more store this year in Chicago.
Patterson said the chain built too many locations too quickly, citing development in Dallas and Houston that has put pressure on store-level margins and made it harder to meet sales and return expectations. He said the company is conducting a full assessment of its locations to address the issue.
Looking ahead, Portillo's plans to open roughly four to six stores in 2027 and is identifying sites for 2028, with a new store prototype planned for early 2028 to reduce its footprint and operate more efficiently. The company also noted recent leadership changes, including naming Kevin Kalicak as chief financial officer.