Portillo’s is a growing brand, and it’s important to us that our Team Members grow with us. That means we arm them with the skills and knowledge to foster their growth and have practices in place to help them develop in their careers. Please take a moment to read about Preston’s career and what he’s learned along the way as the Vice President of Construction.
How long have you been with Portillo’s and what made you come work for us?
I joined the Portillo’s family in May 2021. I was looking for a place to practice my craft in restaurant facilities and construction in a place that lives its values.
What do you love about Portillo’s?
The People! Portillo’s is genuinely a place where the team values each other and works together towards a common goal. We work very hard here but we work with each other, not in spite of each other. We’re successful when all of us are successful.
What was your first position here and what position did you get promoted to?
I’m in the role I took from day one. I’m responsible for taking care of the teams who design and build our new restaurants and maintain the older ones.
What do you love about your position?
Construction and facilities in the restaurant industry is a great place to work hard and see the results of your efforts. I love being able to help the company meet its goals. I love especially being able to grow and develop the team to make all of us better.
What advice would you give to someone at Portillo’s looking to move up?
In a performance-based company like ours, performance must precede potential. Be really good at what you do and do it with a great attitude and a smile. Work hard and be valuable to your peers and your boss. Sometimes you have to wait for the right opportunity to move up but you have to be your own career manager sometimes too. To me, the important thing is to be really good at what you do!
Where do see yourself growing in this company?
I’m fairly new in this role at Portillo’s so for now, I’m well placed. I’m always willing to take on new responsibilities. I’m very interested in learning more about departments adjacent to mine, such as real estate while I continue to improve in my current role. I aspire to learn a lot from my new boss, Mike Ellis, and my peers Randy Guse, and Jim Dix who are real estate development gurus.
Learn more about working at Portillo's here.