Local fast food chain Portillo's makes some delicious dishes, but waiting in line to submit your order (and then waiting in a second line to pick up your food) can be a drag. The restaurant's new mobile app seeks to make your visit to any Portillo's location a faster, potentially more enjoyable experience, allowing customers to place orders for in-store or drive-thru pick-up. It might sound like a tool for the lazy, but Portillo's is the latest in a growing throng of fast food restaurants (including McDonald's and Taco Bell) that are introducing apps in an effort to improve the experience of guests.
Once you download the Portillo's app on your Android device or iPhone, you'll be able to choose a Portillo's restaurant (including the newest location at 520 West Taylor Street) and submit an order for pick-up. When you arrive at the restaurant, your food should be waiting for you, which means you won't have to wait in any lines before devouring one of the best Italian beefs in Chicago.
To entice customers to start using the app, Portillo's is offering $5 off a guest's first mobile app order of $15 or more, when they use the promo code "HOTDOG" at checkout. Anyone who signs up for an account with the app through August 31 will be entered in a contest which will reward five users with free Portillo's meals for a year (that's a lot of Chicago-style hot dogs).