Portillo's Inc.
- Open
- 4.94
- Day high
- 4.98
- Day low
- 4.88
- Prev close
- 4.98
- Volume
- 222K
- Mkt cap
- $355M
- P/E (TTM)
- 24.4
- EPS (TTM)
- $0.20
- P/B
- 0.7
- P/S
- 0.5
- Yield
- —
- Per share
- —
- ▲Insiders net buying $300K over the last 3 months (1 open-market buy, 0 sales)
- 🏛Institutions accumulating (13F)
Portillo's Inc. (PTLO) is a Consumer Cyclical company listed on NASDAQ. The stock is down 30% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 1 open-market buy and 0 sales (SEC Form 4). Drillr has 1 published research article covering PTLO.
Portillo's Inc. (PTLO) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 5 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
PTLO earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2026 | $0.08 | $0.09 | +9.6% | $199M | -0.1% |
| May 5, 2026 | $0.01 | $-0.01 | -200.0% | $183M | -0.4% |
| Feb 24, 2026 | $0.05 | $0.08 | +60.0% | $186M | +1.1% |
| Feb 25, 2025 | $0.07 | $0.17 | +142.9% | $185M | +1.9% |
| Feb 27, 2024 | $0.04 | $0.13 | +193.5% | $188M | +7.5% |
| Nov 2, 2023 | $0.07 | $0.07 | +0.0% | $167M | -9.7% |
| Aug 3, 2023 | $0.13 | $0.12 | -7.7% | $169M | -1.0% |
| May 4, 2023 | $-0.12 | $0.05 | +142.1% | $156M | -7.8% |
| Mar 2, 2023 | $0.01 | $0.08 | +611.1% | $151M | -3.5% |
| Nov 3, 2022 | $0.01 | $0.04 | +190.9% | $151M | +1.2% |
| Aug 4, 2022 | $0.07 | $0.13 | +85.7% | $151M | -0.8% |
| May 5, 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | +100.0% | $134M | -0.8% |
PTLO insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | LEE EUGENE I JRdirector | Buy | 65,355 | $4.59 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Correia Keith Mofficer: Chief Information Officer | Tax | 2 | $3.86 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Kaiser Kelly Mofficer: General Counsel and Secretary | Grant | 3,161 | $3.86 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Kaiser Kelly Mofficer: General Counsel and Secretary | Tax | 92 | $3.86 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Waite Jill Francineofficer: Chief People Officer | Grant | 1,146 | $3.86 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Waite Jill Francineofficer: Chief People Officer | Tax | 33 | $3.86 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Correia Keith Mofficer: Chief Information Officer | Grant | 73 | $3.86 |
| May 12, 2026 | LEE EUGENE I JRdirector | Buy | 70,165 | $4.28 |
| May 4, 2026 | Kaiser Kelly Mofficer: General Counsel and Secretary | Tax | 1,840 | $6.49 |
| May 4, 2026 | Hook Michelle Greigofficer: CFO & Treasurer | Tax | 3,992 | $6.49 |
| May 4, 2026 | Waite Jill Francineofficer: Chief People Officer | Tax | 1,840 | $6.49 |
| May 4, 2026 | Correia Keith Mofficer: Chief Information Officer | Tax | 1,226 | $6.49 |
| Apr 29, 2026 | Correia Keith Mofficer: Chief Information Officer | Tax | 601 | $6.50 |
| Apr 16, 2026 | Hook Michelle Greigofficer: CFO & Treasurer | Tax | 3,945 | $5.52 |
| Apr 16, 2026 | Patterson Brettdirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 271,739 | — |
Source: PTLO SEC Form 4 filings, latest Aug 12, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full PTLO insider & 13F page →Portillo's Inc. company profile
Overview
Portillo's Inc. (NASDAQ:PTLO) is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Chicago-style comfort food, founded in 1963 by Dick Portillo who started with a small hot dog stand called "The Dog House" in Villa Park, Illinois. The company went public in October 2021 and has grown from its humble Chicago origins to operate over 80 restaurants across nine states. Portillo's is known for its distinctive Chicago-style menu items and has been expanding aggressively into Sunbelt markets, particularly Texas, while maintaining its roots in the greater Chicago area where it built its loyal customer base.
Business
Portillo's operates in the fast-casual restaurant industry, positioned between traditional fast food and full-service dining. The company's core offering centers around authentic Chicago-style comfort food, with signature items including Chicago-style hot dogs (served on poppy seed buns with specific toppings but never ketchup, following Chicago tradition), Italian beef sandwiches (thinly sliced seasoned beef served on Italian rolls, often "wet" with beef juices), char-grilled burgers, and chocolate cake and shakes made from scratch daily. The fast-casual segment differs from traditional fast food by offering higher-quality ingredients, made-to-order preparation, and a more upscale dining experience, while maintaining the convenience and speed of quick-service restaurants. Portillo's restaurants typically feature larger footprints than traditional fast food, with drive-through service, dine-in seating, and increasingly, digital ordering kiosks. The company also offers catering services and online ordering through its website and mobile app. Portillo's operates as a single business segment focused on restaurant operations, generating virtually all revenue from food and beverage sales at company-owned locations. The company does not operate through franchising, maintaining direct control over all restaurant operations, food quality, and customer experience.
Revenue model
Portillo's generates revenue primarily through direct food and beverage sales at its company-owned restaurants. Customers pay for individual menu items, combo meals, and beverages, with the average check running higher than typical fast food due to the premium positioning and generous portion sizes. The company also generates revenue through catering services for corporate events and special occasions, and a small portion through online merchandise sales. The business model relies on high-volume, high-margin food service with restaurant-level EBITDA margins typically running in the 22-25% range. Key revenue drivers include average unit volumes of approximately $8-9 million per restaurant annually, significantly higher than industry averages, and average checks that have been growing through modest price increases and menu mix improvements. Several factors influence Portillo's profitability margins. Commodity cost inflation, particularly for beef which is central to many menu items, directly impacts food costs. Labor costs represent a significant expense, with the company competing for workers in a tight labor market while maintaining service quality. Real estate costs vary significantly by market, with expansion into higher-cost Sunbelt markets potentially pressuring margins. Conversely, operational efficiency improvements through technology like kiosks and drive-through optimization, economies of scale in purchasing and operations as the chain grows, and the company's ability to take strategic pricing actions while maintaining value perception help support margins. The company's expansion into new markets also creates temporary margin pressure as new restaurants typically start with lower margins before maturing.
Competitive moat
Portillo's possesses a moderate regional brand moat built primarily around its authentic Chicago food culture and devoted customer following, particularly in its core Chicagoland market. The company benefits from strong brand recognition and emotional connection among customers who view Portillo's as an authentic purveyor of Chicago-style comfort food. This cultural authenticity is difficult to replicate, as the recipes, preparation methods, and overall experience are deeply rooted in Chicago traditions. However, the moat faces several limitations. Geographic concentration risk remains significant, as the brand's cultural resonance diminishes outside the Midwest, requiring substantial marketing investment to build awareness in new markets like Texas and Arizona. The company competes in the highly competitive fast-casual segment against both regional players and national chains with significantly more resources. Replication risk exists, as competitors could potentially copy menu items and restaurant concepts, though they would lack the authentic heritage. The company's moat is strengthened by its operational execution capabilities, high-volume restaurant model that creates economies of scale, and the difficulty of replicating the full dining experience. However, this is not a particularly wide or durable moat compared to technology companies or businesses with network effects. Success depends heavily on continued execution, successful geographic expansion, and maintaining food quality and service standards as the chain grows. The restaurant industry's inherently local and competitive nature limits the defensive characteristics of any restaurant concept.
Risks & safety
Portillo's presents moderate financial risk with some concerning liquidity metrics but reasonable overall solvency. • Liquidity concerns: Current ratio of 0.25 indicates potential short-term liquidity pressure, though this is partially offset by positive operating cash flow of $98 million annually • Debt levels: Debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49 shows moderate leverage, manageable for a growing restaurant chain • Cash position: $23 million in cash and short-term investments provides limited cushion • Profitability: Positive and growing EBITDA of $95 million with improving margins • Valuation metrics: EV/EBITDA of 11.9x appears reasonable for a growing restaurant concept, P/E of 18.8x is moderate • Growth capital needs: Expansion plans require ongoing capital investment, with free cash flow turning positive at $10 million annually • Other considerations: Restaurant industry cyclicality and execution risk in new market expansion
Recent development
Over the past few years, Portillo's has pursued an aggressive geographic expansion strategy, moving beyond its traditional Chicagoland stronghold into Sunbelt markets, particularly Texas, Arizona, and Florida. The company opened its first Houston-area location and is planning its first Georgia restaurant, representing a significant geographic diversification effort. Operational technology initiatives have become a major focus, with the company deploying kiosks across all restaurants to improve order accuracy and increase average ticket through upselling. The company is also testing AI-powered drive-through cameras and has made significant investments in improving drive-through speed, targeting 45-second reductions in service times. The launch of Portillo's Perks loyalty program represents a major strategic shift toward data-driven marketing and customer retention. This app-less program integrates with digital wallets and enables targeted marketing campaigns and personalized offers. Management expects to reach 1.5 million enrollments by mid-2025. Restaurant format innovation has led to the development of smaller, more efficient restaurant prototypes at 6,250 square feet (down from traditional larger formats), designed to improve unit economics while maintaining the full Portillo's experience. The company is also testing new formats including pickup-focused and in-line walk-up concepts. Additionally, Portillo's has begun testing breakfast offerings in select Chicagoland locations, potentially representing a significant daypart expansion opportunity, and has launched its first market-wide advertising campaigns in new markets like Dallas-Fort Worth to build brand awareness outside its traditional strongholds.
PTLO company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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