Portillo’s has an activist investor that is pushing for a turnaround.
Engaged Capital on Thursday disclosed a nearly 10% stake in the Chicago-based fast casual chain, which last week reported same-store sales down 0.6% for the second quarter, with transactions down 2.3%.
It was actually an improvement over the first quarter this year, but CEO Michael Osanloo said the results fell short of company expectations, blaming “undeniable headwinds” from the broader macroeconomic climate.
Engaged Capital said in the filing that it was looking to “take steps to unlock the intrinsic value of [Portillo’s] business, including, but not limited to, optimizing restaurant performance, improving restaurant-level cash on cash returns, and enhancing corporate governance.”
Portillo’s in a statement said, "Portillo's regularly engages with its shareholders to understand their perspectives and we have spoken with Engaged Capital. Our board and management team will continue to take actions and make decisions that are in the best interest of our shareholders."
Engaged Capital has also put pressure on the fast-casual chain Shake Shack. Last year Shake Shack agreed to hire an operational consulting firm and appointed former Domino’s Pizza CFO Jeff Lawrence to its board in a deal with Engaged Capital. A second board member nominated by Engaged Capital—Chuck Chapman, former COO of Panera Bread—was added later.
At the time, the hedge fund, led by Glenn Welling, was concerned with profitability, and the consulting firm was tasked with improving restaurant execution and cost structure, and Shake Shack chair Danny Meyer agreed to “step down” rights to designate directors over time.
In exchange, Engaged Capital agreed to vote in Shake Shack nominees to the board and not to amass a larger stake in the burger chain.
A few months later, Shack Shack’s then-CEO Randy Garutti announced plans to retire.
According to CNBC, Engaged is not looking for a leadership change. The report, which cites unnamed sources, said Engaged told Portillo’s there would be significant private-equity interest if a public-market turnaround fails.
Engaged also believes Portillo’s should no longer own and develop real estate, and should shrink the size of current locations, the report said. Portillo’s has been working on shrinking its restaurants with the goal of shaving about $1 million from buildout costs.
The hedge fund also would like to see the 88-unit Portillo’s accelerate national growth, the report said, saying the chain should be worth at least 100% more than its current valuation.
It has been a busy year for activist investors so far. Among the restaurant chains facing pressure are Noodles & Company, BJ’s Restaurants, and, of course, Starbucks.
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