Portillo's already in Sunshine State, when will Midwest chain come to SW Florida? We asked

Nearly a year ago, we asked readers to answer this question: What restaurants do you long for the most?

These are places you want to visit so badly for that favorite burger, hot dog, pizza or chicken you've been craving fortnightly since you moved to Florida.

Readers overwhelmingly weighed in and said they want Portillo's to open a restaurant in Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island, heck, anywhere in the 239 area code.

I predict one will come soon, and here's why.

Portillo's is already in Florida

The Illinois-based chain opened its first restaurants in Central Florida and has expanded to the north and west. Portillo's now has six restaurants in Florida: Brandon, Clermont, Kissimmee, Orlando, St. Petersburg and Tampa.

My hunch is that the next move is south, down Interstate 75, to what I've always called "Midwest Florida" because of so many who relocated from my native Michigan, along with Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota.

Portillo's founder lives in Naples

Dick Portillo, who opened the first restaurant called The Dog House 60 years ago in Villa Park, Illinois, lives in the Port Royal neighborhood along with his wife, Sharon. He sold the company in 2014 to Boston-based Berkshire Partners.

So, the founder resides in Naples and the Boston Red Sox spring training is in Fort Myers. Do you see how I'm thinking?

Power of readers

Portillo's serves up "Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, burgers, salads & chocolate cake," according to its Instagram.

They also offer a Chocolate Cake Shake. A Chocolate. Cake. Shake.

Diane Farina of Bonita Springs spoke for "many other misplaced Chicagoans here" when she said Portillo's was her favorite restaurant in our March 2023 story.

"If you don't get a lot of folks from the Midwest saying the same, I'll be really surprised!" Farina wrote in her email. "We have literally BEGGED the company to put one in Naples/Bonita or even Fort Myers!

"We NEED a Chicago hot dog place here! Anybody listening???"

Melissa Kwit of Naples raved aboutPortillo's, sending pics of her family eating at one.

"It is absolutely delicious and I always stop there when visiting my hometown, Chicago! They do have locations outside the Midwest, including Tampa and Orlando, but none in our area," she said in her email last year. "It would be great for the people of Southwest Florida to be able to enjoy Portillo's and it would be great to have a location here!"

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The higher-ups at Portillo's appreciate the love.

"We are very flattered and happy to hear about all our fans in the area," Mike Peterson, the Portillo's Florida and Texas field marketing coordinator, replied Thursday in an email to the Daily News. We had asked when will Portillo's reach Southwest Florida.

"The good news is, we are growing," Peterson continued. "More and more people can get their hands on our unrivaled Chicago style street food. Outside of that, we can’t comment on when and where. Healthy expansion is a slow and sometime tricky process.

"We will release any information when it’s ready. Thanks."

Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter and on Twitter @NDN_dosborn.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Portillo's in SW FL? We asked Midwest chain with 6 already in Florida