Portillo's appoints new CFO as it cuts 18% of corporate staff

Portillo's, the Chicago‑based fast‑casual restaurant chain, announced the appointment of Kevin Kalicak as chief financial officer and treasurer, effective 7 September 2026. Kalicak joins from Darden Restaurants, where he spent more than 25 years, most recently serving as senior vice president of finance for Olive Garden, a brand with over 900 locations and $5 billion in annual sales. President and CEO Brett Patterson said Kalicak’s deep restaurant‑industry experience will help drive profitable growth and strengthen the company’s long‑term strategy.

Earlier this month, Portillo's reduced its corporate workforce by 18%, laying off a portion of field managers but sparing restaurant‑level employees. The cuts were presented as a realignment of teams and resources to better support operators and guests amid declining same‑store sales, a slowdown in growth, and challenges from recent expansion into the Sun Belt. The company is also developing a smaller‑footprint restaurant prototype to lower build‑out costs and improve efficiency.