Meet David, Market Manager and one of our many success stories at Portillo's!

Portillo’s is a growing brand, and it’s important to us that our Team Members grow with us. That means we arm them with the skills and knowledge to foster their growth and have practices in place to help them develop in their careers. Please take a moment to read about David’s growth and what he’s learned along the way as he progressed from General Manager to Market Manager in 5 years!

How long have you been with Portillo’s and what made you come work for us?

I will be with Portillo’s for five years in December.?I was unhappy with my last employer because of my beliefs and started looking for a new career path.?I have worked in full service dining my entire professional career and was looking down that path.?I had reached out to a recruiter I had worked with in the past and she told me about the opportunity with Portillo’s. Growing up in “The Region” (Northwest Indiana) I was familiar with Portillo’s. My dad worked for General Mills in Chicago as a pipefitter.?He would bring Portillo’s home about twice a month. I remember always looking forward to seeing the striped bags. Quick service was not initially where I saw myself, but I knew the power of the Portillo’s brand and had followed it a bit since the sale to Berkshire. As I went through the interview process and met many of the great, tenured team members and mangers, I decided that Portillo’s team was the best fit because of the culture.

What do you love about Portillo’s?

I love the culture and the people.?We work with some amazing individuals that make up our awesome team!?From our front-line team members all the way to the executive team, we have an organization of people I am proud to work with.?I love the diversity of Portillo’s and how anyone who has determination can follow a career path to success.?I love that we have a growth mind set and we have a great way to develop our team members through our training lead and our Ignite programs.

What was your first position here and what position did you get promoted to?

I began as a General Manger and was recently promoted to a Market Manager.?I opened #56-Indianapolis as the General manager in 2017.?In the fall of 2020, I took over #52-Fishers as the General Manager.?I was fortunate to be in the 2021-2022 Market Manger Ignite program to prepare me for my new role.

What do you love about your position?

Again, it’s all about the people.?I love working with all the amazing people that have chosen to work at Portillo’s.?I love to see them grow with our company.?Weather it be someone like RaeDawn the General Manager who started out with us as a cashier and has chosen the Portillo’s career path, or a production team member Alex, who now attends college and comes home for breaks and continues to pick up shifts.?Portillo’s teaches a great work ethic through our values and can prepare you for a career anywhere.

What advice would you give to someone at Portillo’s looking to move up?

Have a great mentor or mentors. Talk to your manager or supervisor about having someone to reach out to for advice and guidance. At time you may be frustrated about a situation and need someone to help talk you through it.?Having a great mentor or mentors is a great way to connect and grow in our organization.

Where do see yourself growing in this company?

We have so much growth in our company, so the sky is the limit!?I love operations and development of people, but I have always had an interest in design and construction, so who knows where my path may go.?For now I am focused on the job ahead and the continued development of the team I have the privilege to work with.