Out of the Dog House

by Dick Portillo, Don Yaeger

In 1963, Dick Portillo built a 6’ x 12’ trailer with no running water or bathroom and opened a simple hot dog stand in Villa Park, Illinois. He called it "The Dog House." More than 50 years and 50 locations later, his namesake Portillo's restaurants are a Windy City institution, famous for perfect, Chicago-style dogs. In Out of the Dog House , Portillo tells the incredible story of his life, sharing the ingenuity and hard-earned wisdom that went into building a beloved restaurant chain. From a modest childhood as the son of Greek and Mexican immigrants, to the core principles that became essential in growing a national business, this is a singular, at times surprising, tale of how one man crafted his own American dream, one hot dog at a time.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 27, 2018

Reviews

[Patrick Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting, in a matter of about two and a half hours. In some respects, it was a little disappointing. I was looking for more behind the scenes and more insight into how Portillo's moved beyond hot dogs and tamales into what it is today. You get snippets of that, but not a lot of insight. There's no question that Dick Portillo worked his butt off to build a billion dollar company and truly earned the American dream. I suspect he left a few bodies in his wake as well.

The book is a memoir, and is perhaps a bit more sentimental and self-praising for that reason. But I wanted to know more about the chocolate cake -- while we now know it was his daughter in law's recipe, how did they get from a family dessert, to a must have menu item? Or the ribs (I love the ribs) -- who came up with that item and why?

In some respects, the book comes up short in how Portillo describes the service in his restaurants and what I've experienced. While I'm certainly a fan, the service is not as good as he would have you believe and I have experienced a number of bad experiences over the past couple decades.

And ultimately, how did Portillo's really thrive while many competitors stayed right where they were? He gives a nod to several that have been around as long as, or longer than, Portillo's, but never got beyond the first restaurant. Was it solely his dedication and hard work or was there something else at work?

One annoyance in the book were several proofreading errors. With the demise of good editing, I guess this is understandable, but it always bugs me. At one point, he describes a small apartment that they had early on and a sentence says "closest" instead of "closet" when talking about having to remove a door to make room for his son's bed.

A second annoyance is repetition. He retells the same stories several times or uses the same references multiple times -- the number of hot dogs sold or beef sold. It felt like the book was being stretched to fit the pages that were commissioned.

Otherwise, it did hold my attention and I got some insights, but it left me wanting more -- kind of like Portillo's chocolate cake.

[Keenan Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book given the place Portillos holds in my heart. It made me reflect on how I have perceived Portillos to be a special brand, but never put thought into what made it special versus so many other fast casual restaurants. The story of Dick Portillos rise from a 6x12 trailer to his billion dollar sale of the company is remarkable. A story of hard work and sacrifice, and unrelenting commitment to quality and service. The part about the early years and how we was able to competitively differentiate were outstanding. I also enjoyed his acknowledgement that he made many sacrifices and while he achieved business success, it came at the expense of spending time with his family.

However the overall book was disapointing. There is a lot of repitition of stories and themes to the point where I was having deja vu. I also couldn't help but feel annoyed at Dick Portillos arrogance. On one hand, his arrogance is earned and he built a great business. On the other, his success is obvious and for that reason the tactic of humility would have been more powerful.

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three generations of our family are huge Portillo's fans. So when I received this book as a Christmas present, I looked forward to learning more about the big picture of this successful restaurant chain. What I got was awful - his co-author and editor must not have had much input as the book is poorly written (including many grammatical and spelling errors), repetitive (over and over and over again), and nothing more than the tale of a narcissist. It was very frustrating to read the same anecdotes over and over (using almost identical language each time). I would roll my eyes at least once a chapter - I had just read that just a few pages earlier. It was like they needed to get to 250 pages to fill a book, so be repetitive. And Dick needs to talk to his new owners as they are not fulfilling his desire to maintain the basics of his strategy that he pounded into the reader. Even the pictures in the book left me wanting - come on, a picture of his Gulfstream jet!

[Kelly]

An interesting look behind a successful and iconic Chicago restaurant. Don't go in for the writing -- it's repetitive and uninspiring -- but instead, enjoy the story of a man who grew up with nothing and made a successful business. I wish there'd been more Portillo's facts. Skimmable for those interested. It's not a heavy investment read.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the food but this book needed an editor. I was so looking forward to this book when it was listed. I gave up 2/3rds of the way. I just could not take the repetition, repetition etc. There was a good story here but I gave up.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone from the Chicagoland area (and more recent from Phoenix as well as Southern California and Florida), you might be familiar with Portillo's, a fast casual, one of a kind restaurant. The founder, Dick Portillo, recently published his autobiography where he tells his story of opening his first restaurant (a hot dog stand) with a $1100 investment which has turned over a billion dollar profit.

In reading the book, you get a feel of how the employees are trained not only on how to make the various menu items, but also how they should offer the customers an experience that will make them want to come back again and again.

And he tells of his adventures outside of building his restaurant empire and also how he sold it and went into business and other pursuits.

A great read on an icon of Chicago.

[Debbie Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

No comment other than congratulations on all of your success in life, Dick Portillo. Your story is incredible.

[Pcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't realize the Chicago connection. Love a self-made story!

[Jinglei C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book! Mr.Portillo demonstrated how capitalism works in America. You do one thing exceptionally well and never need to worry about money. Doing one thing exceptionally well needs a system, and it's complicated. There is no magic wand to success.

[Bill Krieger · Rating 3 out of 5]

 

Headline: Portillo's success story is amazing and inspirational.

First, Portillo's restaurants do offer a better product and experience than any other fast food place. The grub is great, and the attitude of Portillo employees stands out. They care. They are engaged. They are fast. And they rarely make mistakes. The Portillo secret here: training and investing in people. So cool.

I love the place and all, but I still can't get my head around Dick Portillo building a billion dollar business with no franchising and locating almost all his restaurants in Illinois. Dick Portillo is a fantastic entrepreneur and an inspiration.

QOTD

I have learned that being an entrepreneur can take a toll on you. It is a roller coaster of emotions. Some decisions are successes, some are failures. Sometimes you feel powerful, and other times you feel like a decision has been a huge waste because of the money involved – finances, cash flow, staffing issues. Together, business can be a big risk. Being an entrepreneur can put your mind in a lot of dangers. I truly believe that.

- Dick Portillo

When Dick Portillo started, he didn't even know how to cook a hot dog. He loves what he does and works hard every day. As the business grew over the years, the Portillo philosophy crystallized into 4 components: Quality, Service, Attitude, and Cleanliness. He loves competing and recognizes that he is living the America Dream. Dick Portillo is a great role model!

The book should be better. Dick Portillo's co-author didn't do him many favors. Everything is plain as paste. The continuity between chapters is almost non-existent, as some stories are repeated multiple times. I'll give him this: it does feel like Dick Portillo telling his story. I wish there were more personal details in there.

A good read. thanks...yow, bill
 

[Debra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buy a hotdog, don't buy this book. Dick might have built a "hotdog empire" but he is not a writer and if Don Yaeger was suppose to help him, he didn't. This is one of those times when a rich man should have spent his money on a "ghost writer" and if he did actually do that, he needs a refund. I tried but I could not finish the book, it is that bad. I had hoped it would be about the business model, but it is just a bunch of random thoughts that he feels make sense. He does talk about his moat and 4 pillars, and I guess somewhere in the book he might explain them, but I gave up. The worst part is he will say the same thing over and over, exactly the same way each time, usually 5 pages after he just wrote it and then in the next chapter he will say it again. It seemed like they were trying to fill 250 pages with 50 pages of information. What really stopped me reading was when I found the photos, at first I enjoyed them and then I got to the last 4 --- Do you really need to show us a picture of your private plane, you ginormous homes, your yacht? We know very early on that you sold your business for lots and lots of money (rumor has it just slightly under a billion dollars) and you were very successful before selling. Humble you are not.

[Scott Sachse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s a book that is great reading for anyone in the food business, and a must-read for anyone considering opening his or her first restaurant. Mr. Portillo pulls no punches in telling the story of his award-winning, billion dollar restaurant chain (Portillo’s), which he started in 1963 out of a home-built hot dog stand in a Chicago suburb. He credits his success to his experience as a young man in the USMC, to the support he received from his wife and family, and to his willingness to learn from each mistake (of which there were many), along the way creating his “moat” philosophy, and an organization focused on one thing above all else - good people. This highly personal account tells it like it is, leaving no doubt about the blood, guts and passion required to succeed in this most challenging of industries.

[Trudy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only gave this book two stars because I love the food. This book desperately needed an editor, and was so filled with arrogance-disguised-as-humility that repeated itself until the very end (the appendix! What was that?!?!).

Having grown up in DuPage County, I was excited to read this book...and then I wasn’t after the “author” finished explaining how he ran the first location in Villa Park. The rest was patting himself on the back, name-dropping, and self-congratulating some more. Oh, and thanking God for being so wealthy.

I’m still gonna eat at Portillo’s, though.

[Vicki Petersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part love letter to fans of this hot dog stand, part memoir/secrets of business success, Out of the Dog House is the closest we can get to sitting down over a hot dog and fries with Dick Portillo and hear his life story. His writing partner did a great job keeping this book in Portillo’s voice, even if it meant repeating things several times - often in the same chapter. I forgive that as I hope Mr Portillo will forgive me for sullying his hot dogs with ketchup.

[Susan Mckee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dick Portillo is s self-made man. After enjoying Portillo’s food for many years, reading about how Portillo’s started and grew was captivating. Portillo readily acknowledges that God is the source of his success and hard work with focus on quality, service, experience and cleanliness built the Portillo chain.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! There were many things that I never knew about. What a story!

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is the book is interesting and the topic is informative. The writing is too repetitive. It was like the author was trying to create filler. But as far as the topic, I loved it.

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of the reviews here trash this book as repetitive, and with the author's arrogance in plain sight. I have read many business biographies, which this is, and I found it actually pretty good. Portillo goes into some depth in describing his childhood and how his time in the Marines taught him how to think. He relates the difficult start to the business, including not having running water at his first location. He talks about how he came up with his drive through concept and tested it to get it to work better. He even talks about how his kids were involved in the business. He also dives into the operations of the business, dealing with competition, rewarding the long-time employee, and running a massive training program. He doesn't give all the details, you get more of an outline than a blueprint, but the story, for those interested in modern rags to riches stories that don't involve the internet, is quite interesting. When you finish this book, you understand how Portillo thought about running his business. I see this book as being written to provide to Portillo's employees and vendors, to help keep his way of thinking in the business. As Portillo sold off his business, this was likely his last chance to influence its ongoing operations.

I recall hearing an interview of Dick Portillo, probably on Chicago's WGN, probably during the 2008 recession. The announcer jokingly suggested Portillo's deal with the recession by putting less beef on his Italian beef sandwiches. Portillo's reply, deadly serious, was that they would never reduce the size of their offerings, because that's not what his customers want. The announcer jokingly repeated his idea of reducing serving sizes, and Portillo, even more deadly serious, said they would not do it. It seemed if the announcer repeated himself one more time, it would come to blows. You love to hear guys this serious about their product and talk about the business, as you'll get to know how they think and became successful. It might not be replicable, but it's interesting.

[GinnyP · Rating 3 out of 5]

The details about starting up his 'Dog House' - not knowing anything about business, hot dogs, or marketing - are interesting. He has a lot of advice for those looking to start a business, especially a restaurant. The author (Portillo) makes it clear to the reader he built his empire on $1,100 (with a matching amount from his brother) through hard work and his four beliefs for success: quality, service, attitude, and cleanliness. He makes it clear by repeating those details, bits of history of his business, his Marine Corps experience, his struggles in school, and how his rise in the restaurant world came about because he does things better than anyone else, and has a unique complicated business no one can copy. And then he repeats them again, throws in an occasional "Remember when I said.." in the casual tone of this memoir. It gets tiresome, as do mentions of "my shopping center" and name dropping individuals who he brought on his yacht for an 'all expenses paid trip' to exotic locations. (Do I really care that he brought William Faulkner on a trip to WWII sites? No.) He does too much patting himself on the back for me to give this more than 3 stars. Example-- an Appendix lists his real estate holdings: shopping centers; multi family housing "1,939 apartment units across the U.S." ; and a lit of 'Other Investments' that have nothing to do with restaurants, like a chain of car washes, warehouses and portfolios including the numbr of buildings and square feet. It seems he expects the reader to be wowed by his successes. I think the whole book could have been condensed by about a third.

[Jess Sanborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There are leaders who try to lead with fear and some because of respect. I've always believed that respect is like an invisible chain that holds people together. It's proven in history that leaders who try to lead by fear are going to screw you over, because fear alone won't do it. But if you are respected as a leader, you've got something special there."

"No matter what level - be it a high school-aged crew member to a manager's position - the key is to surround yourself with quality people who have a passion to learn."

"Attitudes are a choice, but they also are a product of your environment"

"I'll tell you without blinking an eye that fear teaches you to be cautious and careful. It also forces the individual to be creative and compassionate, because some people just drop the ball and stick their heads in the sand and don't go any further at times. Often fear becomes the fuel for your power."

"People are afraid of leaving their comfort zone. I believe that. At one time or another, we are all in a comfort zone. People love it. It's a natural feeling. And people are afraid to take chances and follow their instincts."

"The next challenge excites me in ways that security and safety does not"

Really interesting read with some great leadership advice and words of encouragement to step out of your comfort zone.

[Kalie Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was interesting to read how someone who knew nothing about making a hot dog became a millionaire off of them. He is a great business person, but a horrible writer. This book probably would have been a lot better if he had hired a ghost writer. He repeats himself constantly. He tried to sound humble but really just sounded arrogant, self centered, and narcissistic. He bragged too much about his yacht, fancy houses, and vacations only millionaires can afford. There are also more spelling and grammatical errors in this book than any book I have ever read. His editor should be fire immediately.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Portillo has a great rags to riches tale to tell; the problem is that it is told verbatim repeatedly throughout this book - like a needle stuck on a vinyl record. I don't understand how a man who says he built his business on giving the customers what they want could settle on this poorly written and badly edited (words left out, punctuation missing, etc.) piece of work to be puchased by readers and dare I say, fans. Because I am a great fan of his restaurants and food (the chopped salad is unequaled in my opinion), I was left disappointed.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are from Chicago or have ever enjoyed eating at a Portillo's, then you might enjoy this book. I really love a Portillo's Italian Beef with sweet peppers. So I was interested in the history of the chain. It is inspiring. The book, which is 250 pages long, could have said what it said in 100 pages. There was that much repetition. If you are an entrepreneur, this would be an inspiring book to read.

[Carol A Cadiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the restaurants, the food, the experience. Never had a bad meal at Portillos and I greatly admire what Mr. Portillo did. This is his own rags to riches story. I like his business philosophy and he seems like a genuinely good guy. However, the book was very repetitive and very self-congratulatory (to the extreme). A humble man, he is not. But it was a fun read and interesting to learn more about the best hot dog place in America. (The book could have also been a lot shorter).

[Tracy Hull · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book if you are a fan of Portillo’s. Not very well written and wanders a bit.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rambling, repetitive, numerous copy-editing errors. A decent enough subject for a memoir, but really stretched to make 250 pages out of maybe 100 pages of actual content.

[Matthew Gilmartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read, nothing earth shattering or anything worth making this a “business “ read. Love Portillos? You may enjoy this.