Dear Portillo's

I’ve often referred to you as my ideal client—and with good reason. You’re a Chicago institution with a monster loyal following that does so many things I admire. And there are so many things we at Airro would love to help you do even better.

First, it goes without saying that your food is delicious. Everyone loves your iconic Italian beefs and hot dogs. Enough said.

Second, you are masters of the drive-thru. You’ve pioneered so many off-premise tactics such as line-busting and two-way lane systems that optimize workflow and streamline customer service. It’s no wonder your sales are phenomenal.

Third, your CEO, Michael Osanloo, is as pragmatic as he is innovative. Under Osanloo’s leadership, you proved agile in trying times, taking a legacy brand and adapting it in fruitful ways during the pandemic. Portillo’s has always understood that people want to eat on their own terms, and when that meant eating from home more, you pivoted well to invest in off-premise platforms. You ruthlessly edited down your vast menu, rationalizing your most important offerings—normally a terrifying concept—without any negative impact. You tested self-delivery, recognizing the value of putting more money in your team member’s pocket and having more control over the brand experience.

Oh, Portillo’s, you get it. That’s why, as a company that specializes in using restaurant technology to make people’s lives easier and better, Airro would love to partner with you to take your business next-level. In a world where efficiency and customization are everything, we’re here to help you build smarter digital solutions that both streamline and delight.

For starters, here are some things we’d love to help you with:

Replace your third-party vendor apps with highly-integrated inhouse applications such as reporting, employee management and inventory management

Modernize your app design—and ensure you’re leveraging hybrid app development technology to create a consistent web and mobile ordering experiences.

Rethink your in-store architecture as a set of application services that allow for new methods of on-premise ordering and pickup

Help define an enterprise-level technology service stack and data pipelines that feed into your store systems

Use AI and ML learning technologies that drives conversational ordering, recommendations, and targeted marketing

Pilot bold new concepts in search of new ways to engage and improve the customer experience

Integrate and elevate Inhouse Delivery as a key offering in more of your stores

Ensure customers can easily order from your menu at every digital touchpoint

Portillo’s, you embody all the things we look for in an ideal client: You keep innovating —and you’re razor-focused on your customer. You recognize the value of using technology to transform.

We’re a great match. Let’s do this. Call me!

Xoxo,

Henry