Dive Brief

The chain, which began testing the morning daypart in April, added five more restaurants and a new menu item to the Chicagoland pilot.

Published June 17, 2025

Dive Insight:

Portillo’s decided to test breakfast in Chicago due to strong consumer demand in the market, CEO Micahel Osanloo said during a May earnings call. During the Lenten season Portillo’s typically offers a pepper and egg sandwich that has strong demand, and customers have asked for this sandwich for breakfast, he said. 

“We've got a big asset sitting there empty for four hours in the morning,” he said. “Obviously, the incrementality of breakfast can be fantastic, if it works.”

As of May, the chain hadn’t yet begun aggressive marketing, and instead worked to make sure that the test worked operationally. Digital menu boards included the test breakfast menu and the chain will install some signs advertising it, Osanloo said.

Social media and local media picked up the news, but Portillo’s breakfast offering has otherwise been in “stealth mode,” Osanloo said in May, adding that if it were expanded into the entire Chicagoland area, they would market it better. 

“We want to make sure that the food works, that the operational execution is flawless. We also want to make sure that we're not negatively affecting lunch and the prep for lunch,” Osanloo said. “And so far, it's a test. There's a lot of positive feedback. There's some constructive feedback.”

Breakfast is being offered from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. daily for dine-in, drive-thru and takeout at the test locations.