The i’s still need to be dotted and the t’s crossed, but if all goes smoothly, another Portillo’s could be coming to the Twin Cities metro.

An application has been submitted to the city of Roseville to build an outpost of Portillo’s, the casual Chicago chain known for its hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake.

Hunter Development Group, in conjunction with property owner J.C. Penney Properties, applied for a conditional-use permit with Roseville, and the planning commission approved the plans this week. The restaurant with a drive-through would be located on the southeast corner of County Road B2 and Fairview Avenue in an outlot on the west side near J.C. Penney and Macy’s at Rosedale Center.

However, Portillo’s vice president of marketing and public relations Nick Scarpino said more steps need to be taken for the Roseville location to become official.

“We’re continuing to explore all opportunities in the Twin Cities area, but we do not currently have a signed lease agreement in Roseville,” he said.

Meanwhile, Scarpino gave an update on other another Twin Cities Portillo’s coming soon. An opening date for a Portillo’s in Maple Grove has been set for Jan. 23. This will be the second in the state, after the first debuted in Woodbury last July.

Portillo’s had been interested in a site in Apple Valley, but the city’s community development director Bruce Nordquist said the application has since been withdrawn. An application was submitted to Apple Valley last year by developer Launch Properties on behalf of Portillo’s to redevelop the Ryan Real Estate Building on the southeast corner of 147th Street and Cedar Avenue, but traffic issues needed to be addressed.

“During the summer of 2017, added traffic volume — a portion from the applicant and the rest contributed from the neighborhood — was studied closely and an engineering solution for the greater neighborhood was identified to move forward,” Nordquist said. “The applicant continued to seek off-site parking options for employees at nearby locations to ensure optimal customer access. That did not materialize to the applicant’s satisfaction. It was a compact sight. Portillo’s is a significant traffic generator, and we wish for them to still locate in Apple Valley.”