As part of its soft opening phase, Chicago-based eatery Portillo’s has quietly started serving customers at its new restaurant in Schertz ahead of its previously announced grand opening bash set for Tuesday, June 9, giving early diners their first taste of the eatery’s Chicago-style menu.
The restaurant’s website now lists operating hours for the location in Schertz, showing it is open daily beginning at 10:30 a.m. Hours run until 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The early opening comes weeks after a Portillo’s marketing coordinator confirmed to MySA that the company was planning an official grand opening celebration on June 9 for its first San Antonio-area location.
The bash will run from 4 to 7 p.m. and is set to include samples, live music, giveaways and more.
Located within the Schertz Station retail center along Interstate 35, the restaurant has been one of the region’s most closely watched openings. Construction activity accelerated throughout spring 2026 as exterior signage was installed, drive-thru lanes were completed and finishing touches were added to the building.
Plans for Portillo’s entry into the area first surfaced in 2025 through Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings, which showed a new restaurant planned as part of the Schertz Station project. Early filings indicated construction beginning in April 2025 with a projected completion date of September 2025, though timelines are subject to change.
Founded in 1963 in the Chicago area, Portillo’s has built a national following for its Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs and chocolate cake. The Schertz restaurant marks Portillo’s first entry into the San Antonio market, with a New Braunfels location also in development as the chain expands along the growing I-35 corridor.
Once formally open, the restaurant adds another major fast-casual player to one of the region’s fastest-growing retail and dining corridors.
Find it: 18678 I-35 N. Frontage Road, Schertz, TX 78154