The Portillo’s in Gurnee is no longer accepting cash from its drive-thru customers after an employee was robbed at gunpoint in the restaurant’s drive-thru in October.
Portillo’s sent an email to its Gurnee customers on Monday notifying them about the change.
The restaurant, located at 6102 West Grand Avenue, said it would only accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express in the drive-thru going forward.
The email specified that cash would no longer be accepted in the drive-thru but would still be accepted inside the business.
The email said the change was made because it is “safer for our team members” and “faster service for you.”
The change comes after the location was robbed at gunpoint in October.
Gurnee police said at the time that they responded around 12:30 p.m. on October 24 to a call of an armed robbery.
A man pulled into the drive-thru lane and robbed an employee.
The suspect displayed a handgun and took cash from the employee.
No one was injured during the incident and officers identified the suspect vehicle as a stolen white Ford cargo van.
The officers also determined the suspect was Eric J. Gatlin, 43, of Elgin, who was wanted on multiple warrants.
Gatlin allegedly stole the Ford van just before the armed robbery from Goodwill in Round Lake Beach.
A major police manhunt had ensued for Gatlin the day prior to the stolen vehicle and armed robbery.
Police officials said Gatlin had crashed a car into a tree in Grayslake and fled from police, prompting that manhunt.
Gatlin was taken into custody in Elgin two days after the Gurnee robbery.
He was charged in Lake County with two counts of armed habitual criminal, possession of a stolen firearm and two counts of felon in possession of a weapon.
He remains held in the Cook County Jail on other charges and has not been transported back to Lake County yet.