# Portillo's to close 5-9 restaurants outside Chicago

> Portillo's plans to shutter 5-9 underperforming restaurants outside Chicago to strengthen fundamentals.
- Title: Portillo's to close 5-9 restaurants outside Chicago | Shortify
- Summary: Portillo's plans to shutter 5-9 underperforming restaurants outside Chicago to strengthen fundamentals.
- Keywords: portillo's, restaurant closures, chicago, fast casual, same store sales, ebitda, ceo, brett patterson, restaurant growth, Nation's Restaurant News
- Source: Nation's Restaurant News — https://nrn.com/fast-casual/portillo-s-to-shutter-five-to-nine-restaurants-outside-chicago
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: portillo's, restaurant closures, chicago, fast casual, same store sales, ebitda, ceo, brett patterson, restaurant growth, food, business
## Portillo's closure plan
Portillo's plans to close a mid- to high-single digit number of underperforming restaurants outside Chicago.
## Q3 sales performance
Portillo's reported a 1.4% same-store sales increase for Q3 with a 2.1% rise in average check and 0.7% drop in transactions.
## Updated financial guidance
Portillo's upgraded its annual EBITDA guidance to $98 million to $101 million from $92 million to $96 million.
## CEO's statement
CEO Brett Patterson said Portillo's does not deliver the returns investors expected and must confront hard reality.
## Strategic focus
Portillo's will close underperforming locations and take a more disciplined approach to growth outside Chicago.
## Brand positioning issue
Patterson said Portillo's branded restaurants outside Chicago lacked clear identity and what they serve.
## New strategy elements
Portillo's will train field managers, improve order accuracy, and modernize digital channels for Millennials.
## New executive chef
Portillo's hired former Guzman y Gomez chef Chris Hansen to prioritize menu quality and innovation.
## Recent restaurant openings
Portillo's opened seven Texas restaurants this year with one more scheduled in Chicago.
## Future growth targets
Portillo's aims for 20% cash-on-cash returns by 2028 and 2-3% annual same-store sales growth.
## Key takeaway

Portillo's will close 5-9 restaurants outside Chicago to improve performance after reporting 1.4% same-store sales growth.