Workers Reveal What It's Really Like To Work At Portillo's

Should you get hired by this hot dog company, you should know that the perks you'll receive are rather decent compared to many other fast food establishments. Benefits such as health insurance (including vision and dental coverage), paid time off, and access to a retirement savings plan, are all advantages Portillo's proudly gives to its employees. In addition to earning extra money on major holidays or in inclement weather, a couple of freebies are thrown workers' way, such as free uniforms and up to $10 worth of food on the house. 

However, it's important to note that these perks, as attractive as they seem, only apply to full-time staff members (via Zippia). Since past and present employees often complain about getting scheduled low hours, likely, plenty of workers don't enjoy the spoils as they might wish to. Many workers say they didn't get any perks at all (via Indeed). A crew member on Indeed confirmed this, attesting to the chain slashing schedules so that employees would fall below the 40-hour threshold. It's a loophole frequently used in the corporate world to avoid providing benefits and by extension, supporting the workers with solid stability.  

Although the chain promises flexible scheduling, many former and current workers say their availability isn't respected or even taken into account when supervisors assign them long shifts. It seems that, unfortunately, optimizing profits can take precedence over empowering laborers in some locations.

Young people graduating from school and into the real world may feel a bit lost as to where they should focus their ambitions. Lacking job experience isn't a bad thing — you just need the right place to get started. Portillo's is a potentially good entry point, even if you don't plan to go into food service. That's because you'll learn the basic skills to set you up for success, according to many current and former employees. These include learning more effective communication, engaging in real teamwork, and gaining useful kitchen competency. These tools are essential to any field, and as a crew member added, makes Portillo's "a perfect job for anybody" (per Indeed). To another former worker writing on Indeed, the gig is a "decent job for beginners." 

Fast food roles like the ones at Portillo's typically pay minimum wage and offer flexible scheduling to boot. Of course, it makes sense that high school students would be drawn to casual vibes and relaxed hours to sharpen their abilities. In a blog post on Portillo's website, staff member Griselda Matias recounted snagging work at the counter-serve spot as a high school sophomore. While her initial motivation for joining was to make her own money (surely every teenager's dream), she also received a promotion. As Matias recalled: "I remember feeling so excited — it was so exciting to gain a little bit of independence for the first time."

Ever notice those random letters scribbled on your Portillo's bag? That's the chain's shorthand for dictating orders and modifications. Cashiers will mark down the requests — think no onions, extra cheese, or everything on it — and then pass it to the line cooks to translate code-breaker-style. This sort of old-school system is still used by some restaurants (Waffle House is notorious for it), but this shouldn't downplay the fact that deciphering, let alone memorizing, these weird jumbles can be tricky. "The hardest part of the job was learning the custom abbreviations," said one employee (via Indeed). 

Since the eatery's website even features a guide to interpreting the abbreviations, it's not surprising that it would be just as much of a mystery to newbie employees as to diners. A former worker called the process "horrific" on Indeed, and added that their experience as a first-time employee (with zero training, no less) made the situation all the worse. Even if the requests for modifications are fairly no-frills, like a beef sandwich without peppers, there's certainly a learning curve to understand what the heck "B N/P" means. There's also the potential for error should a crew member misread the handwriting and prepare something totally off-base. Messy penmanship, a lack of training, and a confusing system means that so much can go wrong. 

Order a hot dog at any Portillo's location, and you'll probably hear voices spouting out sing-song-y rhymes from behind the counter. That's because employees are supposed to insert a quip with each order, such as "Number five, your order has arrived" or "Number nine, it's your time to shine" (via Reddit). The Seussian ritual is a little goofy, which is the point — Dick Portillo himself introduced it as a way to jazz up service. But it's obvious from worker testimonies that the founder would be more amused by the custom than they would. "A lot of employees don't like rhyming!" remarked a Reddit commenter, while another chimed in on the regrettable one-liners that are still buried in their brain to this day. 

Of course, employees aren't expected to have the rhymes down pat. A past worker confirmed on Reddit that there's a guide on hand for new hires. And while employees wouldn't get in trouble for not engaging in the practice, supervisors could get testy with those who opted out. 

As a whole, there's no shortage of staff who find the schtick to be at least a little embarrassing, or even downright awkward if they're uncomfortable busting out witty repartee to strangers who just want to grab their chili cheese dogs in peace. However, at least one worker writing on Indeed says that some people do get a kick out of the tradition. Maybe the hate isn't as strong as it seems.

Some, but thankfully not all, customers can be absolutely terrible to a restaurant's staff. Portillo's workers aren't immune to receiving poor treatment. Indeed is flooded with negative accounts written by service workers who have witnessed a lot of unpleasant characters in their stores. Some customers, they sleeve, are seriously lacking in manners and act downright rude when they don't get what they want. If a single mistake occurs, diners aren't afraid to take out their fury on the workers. According to a former cashier, "The customers are willing to scream at you if you don't get the orders right or if the kitchen screws up the order" (via Indeed).   

Obviously, having to handle mean visitors is an all-too-common situation in the food service industry. However, customer conduct at Portillo's can go beyond churlish or immature behavior and straight into menacing territory. An employee who was stationed at the drive-thru window experienced diners who made threats and tormented them from their cars as they worked (per Indeed). NBC Chicago reports that Portillo's restaurants have been the site of physical altercations brought on by customers, and in extreme circumstances, violent robberies (via Chicago Tribune). 

Although these latter examples are rare, putting up with bad attitudes can be a defining feature of customer service jobs. When it does happen, just serve them with a smile since it's probable you might not even see them again. What's that old saying about living well? 

The fact that some of Portillo's workers choose to stay on for years, if not decades, arguably means the company must be doing something right. On the restaurant's blog, there are testimonies from longtime workers who've put in the time and subsequently enjoyed the benefits that come from commitment. Even taking Portillo's faults into account, there's no doubt the company values individuals who have invested extensive hours into their careers. For example, anyone who met the 20-year mark when the founder's namesake was in charge allegedly received vacations as a thank-you. No wonder the turnover rate is quite low (via Better).

Horacio Rebello Trejo, a line cook who bounces between five separate restaurants, has been active on the Portillo's team for close to 30 years. Deanna Wilson, who was hired on a server in the mid-90s, now works at the corporate level as a Compensation Analyst (per Portillo's). Patti Alumbaugh, a 23-year veteran of the chain, says that it's satisfying to see co-workers who've put in the time thrive. "I so enjoy celebrating the anniversaries of other team members that have also been with Portillo's for 5, 10, 15 ,20 plus years. It is so exciting to be part of a growing brand where quite honestly, the sky has no limit."