Star of CNBC's 'The Profit' Eyes Portillo’s Purchase

Lake Forest’s Marcus Lemonis is considering a bid to buy the Portillo’s chain of 38 restaurants, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Lemonis, a self-made millionaire in the RV and camping gear business, is the star of CNBC’s “The Profit.”

Richard Portillo announced recently that he is evaluating a sale of the popular Oak Brook-based company.

Lemonis already owns a small local restaurant chain — Rose’s Wheat-Free Bakery & Café, with locations in Evanston and Highland Park. An attempt to buy another Highland Park restaurant, In the Raw, resulted in a dispute between Lemonis and the owners that ended up in court.

Lemonis Tweeted his interest in Portillo’s earlier this week. “I'm gonna throw my name in the hat on this one,” he wrote.

He added in an interview with the Tribune that Portillo’s is certainly a cheaper purchase than the L.A. Clippers.

You can read the full Tribune article here.

And you can read more about Lemonis’ background in a Patch interview here.