Investment firm Engaged Capital plans to nominate two director candidates to the fast-casual restaurant chain Portillo’s board for election at its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The nominees, Charlie Morrison and Nicole Portwood,

In January, Portillo’s announced that Chipotle President Jack Hartung had joined the Chicago-based chain’s board. Hartung, who is also Chipotle’s chief strategy officer, previously served as CFO for the Newport Beach, California-based chain for almost two decades.

A big shareholder in Portillo’s is engaging the Chicago restaurant chain in a fight to add two board seats, claiming its performance “appears to be suffering.”

Activist investor Engaged Capital is ready to run a boardroom fight at restaurant chain Portillo's and has nominated two director candidates to the company's eight-member board, three people familiar with the matter said.

Engaged Capital already installed the former Chipotle CFO to Portillo's board and is now getting aggressive to secure a seat for former Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison.

Activist investor Engaged Capital, which took a nearly 10% stake in the Oak Brook-based company last year, said it plans to nominate two independent candidates to the company’s board.