Atlanta, GA
Portillo's to open new location in Atlanta area
US-based fast-casual restaurant chain Portillo’s has announced its first Georgia location, close to the city of Atlanta.
The new outlet will be situated in Kennesaw, in the 1.2 million ft² shopping complex Town Center at Cobb.
The mall is already home to retailers such as Macy’s and JC Penney.
The new restaurant will occupy 6,250ft² and will introduce patrons to Portillo’s Restaurant of the Future concept.
This contemporary design includes a spacious dining room accommodating 125 guests, complemented by an outdoor patio that seats 40 additional diners.
The new restaurant will feature Portillo’s double drive-through lanes and a variety of amenities such as grab-and-go retail space, dedicated pick-up shelves and self-serve beverage stations, all within a streamlined layout.
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When it opens in 2025, visitors can anticipate indulging in Portillo’s offerings, including Famous Italian Beef Sandwiches, Chicago-Style Hot Dogs, Char-Grilled Burgers and Famous Chocolate Cake.
Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo said: “As we continue to grow and expand our footprint across the Sun Belt, entering the bustling Atlanta market was a no-brainer.
“We’re thrilled to expand into Georgia, and we can’t wait to bring our unrivalled, crave-worthy Chicago-style street food to lifelong brand fans, as well as new ones, in a brand-new market.”
Portillo’s is initiating the recruitment process for managerial positions and shift leaders at the new restaurant.
The brand recently appointed industry veteran Tony Darden as its chief operating officer.
From 9 December 2024, Darden will be instrumental in advancing the company’s operational strategy amidst plans for nationwide expansion.
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The small business hub is working to stay rooted in its mission to serve its community, while embracing events like the World Cup.
Views of the exterior of Pittsburgh Yards in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
Five years ago this month, an abandoned trucking terminal south of I-20 was reborn as a business and community hub called Pittsburgh Yards.
In the years since its opening, the 15-acre site has helped spur the development of the Southside Beltline and brought new businesses and visitors to a historically neglected part of Atlanta.
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Views of the exterior of Pittsburgh Yards as seen from The Beltline in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
A catalyst
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Breaking ground
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Stephanie Flowers, a 40-year community resident and community advocate who participated in the community-led planning of Pittsburgh Yards, speaks at the initial community celebration of Pittsburgh Yards in September 2021. (Courtesy of Pittsburgh Yards)
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Views of the exterior of The Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
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Guests check out the “We Need Love” exhibit at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta, located in the Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards. (Photo by Ty Peas)
2025 and beyond
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Lakeisha Jones, owner of plant company Pink Pothos, is in her shop on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Jones partnered with Tyler Cichonski, the founder of Rousseau Plant Care and created the Atlanta Plant Fest, a festival held at Pittsburgh Yards in early April. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
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Views of the interior of The Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
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Mirtha Donastorg is a reporter on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s business team focusing on Black wealth, entrepreneurship, and minority-owned businesses as well as innovation at Atlanta’s HBCUs.
Prosecutors say he had researched the Bank of America Plaza and Delta Air Lines jobs as part of alleged plot.
The Bank of America Plaza, seen behind the Georgia Tech campus in March 2024, was the target of a terrorist plot by Cholo Abdi Abdullah, who was sentenced to life in prison Monday. (Jason Getz/AJC 2024
A Kenyan man was sentenced to life in federal prison after plotting what federal prosecutors called a Sept. 11-style plane attack on Atlanta’s tallest building on behalf of a foreign terrorist organization.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 35, was found guilty by a New York City jury in November 2024 on all six counts of conspiracy to hijack a U.S. airliner and crash it into an Atlanta building. He was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres on Monday.
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Jozsef Papp is a crime and public safety reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Walking around the streets of downtown Atlanta around 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, it looked like a gathering for the largest Kentucky quarter-zip convention in the world. If Nashville brought out all the flannels, Atlanta provided a more Southern sophistication vibe. But no matter what they were wearing, Big Blue Nation was at its finest.
In Nashville against Gonzaga, fans booed when Kentucky didn’t play well. Many debates on how appropriate that was have taken place since, but the booing wasn’t a few inebriated jerks in the corner starting trouble with others joining in out of a mob mentality. The booing in Nashville was organic and flowed from all nooks of the arena. It was the manifestation of frustration from watching Kentucky players fumble around on the court in their souls and let it be known.
When Kentucky’s offense looked once again anemic against St. John’s, fans in Atlanta hung in there. The only booing was directed at the officials for perceived bad calls, not at the players’ inability to score. Kentucky’s effort helped play a part in that, as fans could tell guys were at least trying hard (unlike against Gonzaga). But you could tell the arena accepted this group’s limitations, especially without Jaland Lowe.
So when Lowe made his unbelievable return to the game after what everyone assumed was a season-ending reinjury of his shoulder, there was a palpable shift from fans willing their offensively challenged try-hards to scrape together some points, to maybe just maybe, thinking their team might actually be kind of good.
The stagnancy that plagued Kentucky in the first half evaporated into motion with drives and cuts that made Kentucky look crisp. When Jayden Quaintence made his debut and looked every bit of the future NBA lottery pick we hoped he would, fans cheered his every move. At its heart, Big Blue Nation is a group of ball-knowers, and the collective appreciation the fans had when Quaintence would make even a routine defensive post play showed just how much fans are still into this team.
The full-throated cheers in the second half made everyone forget the woes of the first half, and most of this season, honestly. It was the first time since the Purdue exhibition that Kentucky fans cheered not just because the ‘Cats were playing well, but because they started to believe in this team again.
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