This is turning out to be a week of firsts for Fishers.  I also had a first today….my first time at Portillo’s.

To be honest, when people started to get hyper-excited about the mere possibility Portillo’s might be coming to Fishers, I wondered what all the fuss was about.  It’s just a hot dog place, right?

I just took my wife Jane and daughter Mary to Portillo’s for dinner today (Monday).  The eatery had been open for a while and it’s Monday night so it won’t be that busy, right?  Wrong.

The place wasn’t packed, but it was very busy.  Watching all the workers take every order from beginning to end was quite a spectacle.  It is a well-oiled food delivery machine.

Jane and Mary tried a hot dog, I ordered Italian Beef.  Did I mention Mary & I tried a cake shake (hope my doctor isn’t reading this)?  All three of us agreed that we now understand what all the uproar was about leading up to this.  Portillo’s has its own way of doing things.

The whole concept of having pieces of cake embedded into a milk shake seemed odd to me at first.  Once I tried it, I got it.

Bottom line, Portillo’s is something special.  I now understand.

But, we have more coming this week.  The lines are forming at the Fishers IKEA, preparing for the Wednesday morning opening.  This is another long-anticipated event that is finally going to happen.  I knew from the beginning why this is a big deal.

I still don’t understand why so many people are willing to wait so long to be at or near the front of the opening day line.  I know there are attractive give-aways for those first few people entering IKEA Wednesday – but waiting in line two days?

I have every reason to believe the IKEA grand opening will be very grand…everything I have seen this company do so far has been first class.  IKEA knows what its doing.

Then, we have the final word on the opening of Top Golf…it will be this coming Friday.  In this case, I did not know why so many people were so excited by Top Golf coming here.

I presume that relates to the fact I am not a golfer.  Those into golf will now be able to play year-round.  Top Golf is a high-tech operation which I still do not fully understand.  What I do understand is that the serious golfer cannot wait to use Top Golf.

I have also been told by experts in the field that Top Golf will be as much a crowd generator as IKEA.  That says a lot.

Don’t forget that the homes in the old Spring Dale Estates are being demolished to make way for The Yard development of restaurants and entertainment venues.  We are still waiting for specifically what eating establishments plan to locate in that complex.

So, here is the upshot.  Portillo’s has recently opened, IKEA opens Wednesday and Top Golf opens Friday.  When has Fishers seen a week like this?