Portillo’s, from Pop Culture Icon to Public Growth, with CMO Nick Scarpino

One of the industry’s true cult-classic chains has begun to expand beyond its Chicagoland roots, filing a successful IPO and heading to new markets like Texas. Wherever it’s landing, Portillo’s is opening to massive volumes—potentially the highest in the industry above $9 million—and finding hordes of new fans supporting the company’s next generation of development. How does Portillo’s maintain its brand identity while also looking to the future? CMO Nick Scarpino takes us behind the scenes of the unique concept’s evolution and why it continues to thrive in a category of one.