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Top 100: Portillo's Hot Dogs No. 30

30. Portillo’s Hot Dogs Oak Brook, Ill. / No. of units: 34 With an initial investment of $1,100, Dick Portillo opened his first restaurant—The Dog House—in a 6-by-12-foot trailer that had no running water. The suburban Chicago eatery became a local favorite. Today, Portillo’s Hot Dogs boasts 34 locations and a menu expanded to include Italian sausage, burgers, chicken sandwiches, specialty salads and desserts. According to Chicago-based restaurant research firm Technomic, Portillo’s Hot Dogs had an estimated $100 million in sales in 2006 and ranks 18th nationwide in the industry’s sandwich segment. Portillo remains the sole owner of Portillo Restaurant Group, with no franchisees, outside investors or partners.

January 10, 2012

30. Portillo’s Hot Dogs

Oak Brook, Ill. / No. of units: 34

With an initial investment of $1,100, Dick Portillo opened his first restaurant—The Dog House—in a 6-by-12-foot trailer that had no running water. The suburban Chicago eatery became a local favorite. Today, Portillo’s Hot Dogs boasts 34 locations and a menu expanded to include Italian sausage, burgers, chicken sandwiches, specialty salads and desserts. According to Chicago-based restaurant research firm Technomic, Portillo’s Hot Dogs had an estimated $100 million in sales in 2006 and ranks 18th nationwide in the industry’s sandwich segment. Portillo remains the sole owner of Portillo Restaurant Group, with no franchisees, outside investors or partners.