Chili’s is America’s hottest restaurant
CNN
Chili’s is on fire.
Chili’s is on fire. Chili’s sales at restaurants open for at least a year increased a whopping 31% last quarter. It was Chili’s third-straight quarter of double-digit sales growth, and the results drove parent company Brinker International’s (EAT) stock up 16% on Wednesday. The restaurant chain’s growth was fueled by more customers visiting restaurants — not Chili’s raising prices. Foot traffic to Chili’s increased 20% last quarter, the company said. Analysts gushed over Chili’s results on an earnings call, offering congratulations to the company 11 times. One analyst said the company’s turnaround was “the best one of all time” in the restaurant industry, and another said CEO Kevin Hochman was “going to write a great book on this some day.” Once falling behind flashier restaurants, Chili’s is pulling off its comeback thanks to upgraded French fry and chicken tender recipes, fast food-like deals and viral TikTok videos of customers pulling apart its gooey mozzarella sticks. Chili’s has blown up on TikTok with its “Triple Dipper” platter, which lets customers choose from three appetizers — mozzarella sticks, southwestern egg rolls and chicken wings — for under $20. The platter had been around for decades, but Chili’s started advertising it prominently on social media last spring.
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