My brother’s final Christmas gift to me and my family was two shipments of Portillo’s: Italian Beef and Chicago Hot Dogs.

He saw a post where I was bemoaning how homesick I was for a real Italian Beef.

He ordered Portillo’s for us from Chicago to East Tennessee.

I ate the beef immediately but kept the hotdogs for a warmer cookout later in the year.

Darin passed away in June and I couldn’t bring myself to eat the hotdogs.

So, a few weeks ago, I contacted Portillo’s to see how long I could safely keep their hotdogs in the freezer and still eat them.

They asked why. I told them.

Lori, the customer service rep, sent her condolences and this gift card to go toward a next order of Portillo’s.

This is an example of Midwest Nice and Midwest Nice beats everything else.

More than that, this is Portillo’s caring for its loyal customers. They trained their staff to read the room and the freedom to make decisions like sending gift cards with real money.

Portillo’s is a brand that get it. And I’m forever grateful.