A shared
Mission to Serve
You’re the Leader We’re Searching for.
Our purpose to add more veterans to our growing family
As a purpose driven leader, bring your tactical skills, lessons, and expertise you gained while serving to a new team. We’d love to put your leadership skills to work at Portillo’s, and help you build on them even more through our training programs created and led by military veterans.
We’ve beefed up our perks and benefits to support your civilian life.
Assistance Program
The EAP provides help with stress, mental health, substance use, and more. This resource is for Portillo’s employees and any of their family members that need support.
Want to stay fit after entering civilian life? Gympass makes it easy by offering a large selection of gyms, studios, and workout apps at a discount.
Company Match
Begin your 401(k) retirement savings with Portillo’s! Our 401(k) plan is a great way to help prepare for your future.
“Your goal of being your best self to make your unit better literally describes the leadership needed in our restaurants.”
“There are many similarities from military to Portillo’s. It’s a fast-paced environment that requires critical thinking skills, flexibility, drive, and energy. Your goal of being your best self to make your unit better literally describes the leadership needed in our restaurants.”
– John Isbell
TSCT, US Air Force, NCOIC Wing Training & Development and Portillo’s VP of Learning & Development
“A high-paced, energetic environment of discipline and teamwork.”
“Portillo’s is perfectly suited for those who want to work in a high-paced, energetic environment of discipline and teamwork. I’ve never felt more ‘in a foxhole’ in the industry than working a Rocking Station at a busy Portillo’s and doing it in a slamming Beef station. We all had to work hard toward a common goal, and we NEEDED each other to watch our backs.”
– Alan Emery
0811 Artilleryman, Marines and Portillo’s Director of Learning & Development
“We work with a sense of urgency and accomplishment.”
“I came to Portillo’s because I saw a large group of people working together, and it reminded me of a lot of things we did in the military. We work with a sense of urgency and for a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.”
– Tom Motter
E4 Specialist, US Army and Portillo’s General Manager
Founded in Greatness
Our founder, Dick Portillo (pictured on the right), served with the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California after high school. Mr. Portillo served a tour with the Marine Corps until he was honorably discharged in 1959. Dick held several jobs after his military service, including working in a steel mill, unloading box cars at a railroad, and working in a junkyard. In 1963, Dick invested $1,100 into a 6’x 12′ trailer to open the first Portillo’s hot dog stand on North Avenue in Villa Park, IL, which he called “The Dog House.”