
With the 4th of July upon us, there are few foods that remind us of the holiday like hot dogs, burgers, and shakes. Burgers and shakes have long been restaurant staples, yet the inclusion of the hotdog is a rarer sight. You’re much more likely to catch some classic hot dogs at the family barbecue than at a restaurant. In theory, they are the perfect complement to burgers and shakes, yet only a select few major chains carry all three. Checkers, Rally’s if you live in the Midwest, is one of the largest fast-food chains that features hotdogs alongside their burger offerings. Add in their double drive-thru and iconic seasoned fries and you have a powerhouse concept. On the other side of the bun, Portillos enters the fray with their Chicago style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Make no mistake, Portillos is a goliath in Illinois, yet do they have national appeal and the power to be more than just a hometown favorite?
Checkers was originally founded by Jim Mattei in 1986 and the company acquired the Rally’s portion of the brand in 1999. Checkers is one of the true “fast-food” restaurant companies that relies entirely on customers coming and going as quickly as possible. Their namesake is evocative of closed track car races and the company keeps to that ideal by doing everything possible to streamline the food ordering and delivery process. Checkers features an industry leading double drive-thru concept and was one of the first to incorporate AI into their ordering platform. Checkers’ restaurants have one of the smallest footprints and they only feature an outdoor to-go window for walk-up customers with limited outdoor seating available. This frees employees to focus on transactions and food prep instead of taking drive-thru orders and delivering orders to dine-in customers. The design has been very successful for the brand in the modern era as more restaurants look to focus on to-go sales. Checkers has also been one of the few chains to keep a value menu while inflation has skyrocketed. While other brands are launching value deals for the summer, Checkers has never left.
Portillos is a household name in Illinois, yet the brand has shown a desire to expand their horizons. Portillos first opened in 1963 as a hot dog stand with a small trailer serving as the first restaurant. By 1983 they opened their first drive-thru and began building their reputation of quick service times. The brand finally left the borders of Illinois in 2005 by opening their first California restaurant and they eventually reached six states in 2016 when they opened in Florida and Wisconsin. Portillos is most famous for their hot dogs which are served Chicago style or with any combinations of toppings you can imagine. They also serve burgers and shakes, yet their menu includes Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake that creates a unique menu in the fast-food industry. While the brand does focus on to-go orders, locations have a sizable footprint and feature counter service. What really sets Portillos apart is that unique menu offering. Very few fast-food restaurants base their menu around hot dogs and even fewer include something like Italian beef. Portillos is no longer Chicago’s best kept secret, and the company is looking to continue expansion to new states. The company recently reported that locations outside of Illinois are actually brining in more revenue than those in their home state.
Next time you are looking for your fast-food hot dog fix, there may be more options than you remember as a Portillos could be coming to your state soon. It will never be as ubiquitous as the classic burger and fries combo, yet there is room out there for expanded menu options. Portillos has shown that there is strong interest in their concept outside of Illinois and one day they could rival Checkers. Both brands are standout examples of a restaurant focusing on what makes their concept unique and building up that strength over the years without trying to be everything to all consumers.