Portillo’s CFO departs

Michelle Hook will pursue another opportunity after serving in her position at the chain for five years, which included playing an important role in its 2021 IPO.

Portillo’s CFO Michelle Hook departed from the chain on May 5, the company said in a Tuesday earnings release. She is leaving to pursue another opportunity. As of Tuesday afternoon, her LinkedIn profile does not state her new position.

Hook has overseen the company’s financial functions since 2020, and helped “drive a period of meaningful growth.” She played an important role in the company’s 2021 initial public offering and subsequent expansion into new markets. Prior to joining Portillo’s, she worked at Domino’s for over 17 years in various financial positions, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Portillo’s board of directors has begun a search for her replacement. They are targeting leaders with track records of delivering strong results and leading financials at high-growth brands to help the company’s next era of growth.

Hook’s departure comes a few months after Brett Patterson, former Miller’s House CEO, joined the chain as chief executive. The company also hired Jennifer Pecoraro-Striepling as chief development officer in March.

The company has seen a run of recent same-store sales declines, reporting a 0.1% decline in same-stores sales for Q1 2026, an improvement compared to the 3.3% slide it reported during Q4 2025. Net income also turned negative, with a loss of $500,000 compared to a net income of $4 million in the year-ago quarter, according to the earnings release.

However, transactions were up 0.8% during the quarter, marking the first time traffic increased at the chain since 2023, according to William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia.

Zackfia said Hook’s move is not likely related to the chain’s performance.

“We believe her departure has little to do with Portillo’s prospects and more to do with her professional trajectory, as she would have been the most likely internal candidate for CEO,” Zackfia wrote in a Tuesday report.