Minnesota City Rejects Plans to Open a Portillo’s for the Lamest Reason Ever

Take a moment and think back to the summer of 2014; that's when Portillo's had finally opened their long-awaited restaurant over on East State Street.

Remember? I'm sure you do because one of the things that sticks out the most in our memories is the line to get through the drive-thru; literally. Men and women in bright yellow vests stood out in the staggering heat between traffic cones, directing traffic and taking orders for months, it was insane. But as most of you know, it was totally worth the wait.

Someone, and it should probably be me considering it's my home state, should remind the good folks in Minnesota that Portillo's Chicago style dogs and chocolate cake are totally worth the wait, which is part of the reason they turned down plans to build one in the suburb of Maple Grove.

Go Mn says one of the main obstacles was where it was going to be built; to build it in parking lot space across from a strip mall meant loss of parking space and an increase in traffic from the always-congested drive thru. Completely legit, but something that could easily work itself out over time and with the right set up, like they did here in Rockford, this could totally work.

To be fair, there were additional concerns about the strip mall that it would be adjacent to; much like a lot of malls, Arbor Lakes has been struggling to keep some stores open and they don't believe the Portillo's would be close enough to drive more shoppers to the stores.

How do you know until you build it? Have they not seen Field of Dreams? Even Maple Groves mayor is shaking his fist and silently saying, "If you build it, they will come."

Look, Maple Grove, if you don't want a Portillo's, we'll take another one down here in the Rockford area; preferably in Machesney Park.

It's Furiday!

Catch Mandy James on “The Steve Shannon Show with Mandy James” on 97 ZOK from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.