For decades, Chicago's food scene was dominated by deep dish pizza and loaded Chicago style hot dogs. But if you ask locals, the real favorite in town, the Italian beef. We're firing 76 piece.And now that hot, drippy sandwich is stealing the spotlight. In part because of the hit Chicago based show, The Bear Salt. The award-winning show highlighting the passion and pride in the Chicago original that's been satisfying cravings for nearly a hundred years.Meat is so tender, so juicy. That's what I love about it ...

OAK BROOK, Ill., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Portillo’s, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLO) announces the following event: What:PTLO Q2 2025 Earnings WebcastWhen:Tuesday, August 5 at 10 a.m. ESTWhere:investors.portillos.comHow:Live webcast (web address above)Contact:Chris Brandon, Vice President of Investor Relations312.931.5578cbrandon@portillos.com  *This webcast event will be archived on the Portillo’s Investor Relations website for replay.*Q2 2025 Earnings Release will go out before market open on Tuesday, Augus ...

Company Overview - Portillo's Inc. is a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its American classics with a Chicago twist, operating over 90 restaurants across 10 states [1] - The company was founded in 1963 by Dick Portillo, who started with a $1,100 investment in a hot dog stand called "The Dog House" [1] Investor Engagement - CFO Michelle Hook will present at William Blair's 45th Annual Growth Stock Conference on June 3, 2025, at 12:20 p.m. Eastern Time, with a presentation available at investors.portillos.com [3] - On June 4, 2025, CFO Michelle Hook will host a fireside chat at Baird's 2025 Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference at 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time, along with in-person investor meetings [3] - CEO Michael Osanloo and CFO Michelle Hook will conduct in-person investor meetings at the Jefferies Consumer Conference on June 17 and 18, 2025 [3] Customer Engagement - Portillo's offers a loyalty program called Portillo's Perks, allowing fans to earn and redeem rewards [2] - Customers can order ahead for pickup or delivery through the Portillo's App or website, with food shipping available to all 50 states [2]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 reached $176.4 million, reflecting an increase of $10.6 million or 6.4% compared to the previous year [18][19] - Same restaurant sales increased by 1.8%, contributing approximately $2.6 million to revenue growth [20] - Restaurant level adjusted EBITDA was $36.7 million with a margin of 20.8%, a decrease of 110 basis points from the previous year [27] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was $21.2 million, down 2.6% from the previous year [29] - General and administrative expenses increased to $18.9 million, representing 10.7% of revenue [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New restaurants not in the comparable base contributed $7.9 million in revenue growth [19] - The average check increased by 4.9%, partially offset by a 3.1% decrease in transactions [20] - The company plans to open 12 new restaurants this year, with 10 in the new Restaurant of the Future format [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The advertising campaign in Dallas Fort Worth increased brand awareness by about 10% and drove high single-digit sales increases [10] - The company is running a similar campaign in Phoenix to boost brand awareness [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on four key tactics: advertising beyond Chicagoland, launching the Portillo's Perks loyalty program, continuous operational improvements, and optimizing kiosks [9] - The loyalty program aims for a personalized, data-driven approach based on guest behavior, with a goal of 1.6 million sign-ups by mid-year [56] - The company is testing breakfast offerings in five Chicagoland restaurants, with positive early feedback [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged macro pressures but expressed confidence in the brand's resilience and strategies to drive traffic [17] - The company expects comp sales growth in the range of 1% to 3% and total revenue growth of 10% to 12% for the year [22][23] - Management noted that newer restaurants are experiencing slower starts but are optimistic about their long-term performance [23][54] Other Important Information - Food, beverage, and packaging costs as a percentage of revenues increased to 34.6% due to commodity price increases [24] - Labor costs as a percentage of revenues increased to 26.6%, driven by lower transactions and increased wage rates [25] - The company ended the quarter with $12.9 million in cash and plans to use cash generated from operations to fund new restaurant growth [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about new restaurant performance in Houston - Management indicated that the slower performance is due to brand awareness and not operational issues, emphasizing a focus on field marketing to build awareness [38][39] Question: Impact of recent openings on revenue guidance - The widening of the revenue range is primarily related to the class of '24 openings rather than expectations for '25 [40][41] Question: Testing breakfast offerings - The breakfast test is being conducted quietly to ensure operational execution, with plans for broader marketing if successful [90] Question: Performance of new units and marketing strategies - Management noted that marketing efforts in Houston were less aggressive compared to Dallas, which contributed to slower starts [54][98] Question: Insights on the Portillo's Perks program - Initial metrics indicate strong guest responsiveness to offers, exceeding internal expectations [56][108]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 2025 reached $176.4 million, reflecting an increase of $10.6 million or 6.4% compared to the previous year [16] - Same restaurant sales increased by 1.8%, contributing approximately $2.6 million to revenue growth [17] - Restaurant level adjusted EBITDA was $36.7 million with a margin of 20.8%, a decrease of 110 basis points from the previous year [24] - Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 2.6% to $21.2 million compared to Q1 2024 [25] - General and administrative expenses increased to $18.9 million, representing 10.7% of revenue [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New restaurants not in the comparable base contributed $7.9 million to revenue growth [16] - The average check increased by 4.9%, driven by a 4.4% increase in menu prices [17] - Labor costs as a percentage of revenues increased to 26.6% due to lower transactions and increased wage rates [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Dallas Fort Worth advertising campaign increased brand awareness by about 10% and drove high single-digit sales increases in that region [8] - Newer markets remain vulnerable until brand awareness is established, as seen in Houston [36] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to open 12 new restaurants in 2025, with 10 in the new Restaurant of the Future format [14] - The Portillo's Perks loyalty program aims to enhance customer engagement through personalized offers [9] - The company is focusing on operational excellence, including hospitality, speed, and accuracy [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged macroeconomic pressures but expressed confidence in the brand's resilience and strategies [15] - The company expects comp sales growth to be in the range of 1% to 3% for the remainder of the year [19] - Commodity inflation is forecasted at 3% to 5% for 2025, with significant pressures from beef prices [21] Other Important Information - Cash from operations increased by 4.1% year over year to $9.5 million [28] - The effective interest rate decreased to 7% from 8.4% in 2024 [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about new restaurant performance in Houston - Management indicated that the slower performance is due to brand awareness issues rather than operational problems, and they are increasing marketing efforts to build awareness [36] Question: Impact of recent openings on revenue guidance - The widening of the revenue range is primarily related to the class of '24 openings rather than expectations for '25 [38] Question: Update on breakfast test in Chicago - The breakfast test is being conducted quietly to ensure operational execution, with plans for broader marketing if successful [42][86] Question: Performance of new units and marketing strategies - Management noted that marketing efforts were less aggressive in Houston compared to Dallas, which contributed to slower initial performance [94] Question: Insights on the Portillo's Perks program - Initial metrics indicate strong guest responsiveness to offers, exceeding internal expectations [104]

Core Points - Portillo's is celebrating Italian Beef Day with a month-long event featuring exclusive offers and activities [1][10] - The celebration includes a BOGO sandwich deal for loyalty program members, a CTA Blue Line train takeover, and a nationwide scavenger hunt [2][8] Company Overview - Portillo's was founded in 1963 by Dick Portillo and has grown to over 90 restaurants across 10 states, known for its Italian beef sandwiches and other Chicago-style foods [4] - The company offers a loyalty program called Portillo's Perks, allowing members to earn rewards and access exclusive deals [5] Marketing Activities - The BOGO deal allows Portillo's Perks members to buy one regular Italian Beef sandwich and get one free throughout May [8] - The CTA Blue Line train will be wrapped in Italian Beef-themed branding from May 5 to June 1, promoting the sandwich [8] - A social scavenger hunt will take place in multiple cities, including Chicago, Dallas, and Phoenix, where fans can find swag bags containing branded merchandise and free sandwich cards [8]

CHICAGO, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Portillo’s Inc. (“Portillo’s” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PTLO), the fast-casual restaurant concept known for its menu of Chicago-style favorites, today announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Engaged Capital, LLC (“Engaged Capital”). As part of the cooperation agreement, Portillo’s and Engaged Capital will cooperate to identify a new director with recent and relevant restaurant operating experience to be appointed to the Portillo’s Board of ...