Chicago fast food restaurant chain eyes location near Denver International Airport

A slice of chocolate cake mixed inside a milkshake is a very real thing, and Denver might be the next city to experience it.

It comes courtesy of Portillo’s, a famous Chicago fast food restaurant chain which recently submitted concept plans to build a restaurant 10 minutes away from Denver International Airport.

From the Chicago-style hot dogs, beef sandwiches dipped in au jus, charbroiled burgers, cheese fries, ribs, salads, beer, milkshakes and its famous chocolate cake – Portillo’s has it all.

Notably, Portillo's patented "Chocolate Cake Shake" is a fan favorite.

Each of the items above, and more, could soon be available in what is now an empty lot at the northwest corner of 57th Avenue and Tower Road.

Portillo’s proposal suggests a 6,200-square-foot restaurant with two drive-thru lanes, indoor dining, a 500-square-foot patio and 98 parking spots, according to its development application to the city.

The nationwide demand for Portillo’s is high.

The fast food chain announced last year plans for 900 nationwide restaurants with Denver, Las Vegas and Atlanta cited to be next on the list.

Portillo’s currently operates 86 locations across 10 states.

It all started in 1963 when Dick Portillo opened his small, but very popular hot dog stand in Villa Park, a suburb 20 miles west of downtown Chicago.

In 1983, Portillo’s created its own unique drive-thru system, competing with companies like McDonald’s, which started its own drive-thru system only eight years earlier.

By the year 2000, Portillo’s became so nationally known that it launched nationwide online catering.

Portillo, who owned the company for roughly half a century, sold the restaurant chain to Berkshire Partners in 2014. Under its new owner, Portillo's continued its nationwide expansion and, in 2021, became a public company allowing stakeholders to buy shares in it. 

Portillo's applicant needs to submit final zoning review requirements before March 20, according to Denver’s e-permit review site.

The Denver Gazette reached out to the Portillo's applicant for comment.