by Greg Trotter

The fighting Illini just got a recruiting boost from an alum: Portillo's is coming to town. "It's nice to go back to a place where you have some good memories," said Keith Kinsey, Portillo's CEO and class of 1976 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

For Portillo's, the Oak Brook-based chain known for its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and cake shakes, Thursday's announcement of a Champaign location represents yet another outpost in a steady expansion since founder Dick Portillo sold the company to a private equity firm in 2014. The 9,850-square-foot restaurant at 2306 N. Prospect Ave. in Champaign would represent the chain's 48th location when it opens, which is scheduled to happen in late April or early May.

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Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/