American cities are full of restaurant chains, but one brand stands out as the hot choice among today’s diners.
Chili’s locations that have been open for at least 12 months saw sales skyrocket 31% in the last quarter of 2024, according to a recent company earnings call. That marked the third straight quarter that Chili’s recorded double-digit sales increases.
Here are some factors that are fueling the surge in the popularity of the Texas-based restaurant chain.
Food quality over quantity
Chili’s has cut back on the variety of its food offerings, dropping 13 items from its menu, so it can focus on quality. During the earnings call, Chili’s president and CEO, Kevin Hochman, said the chain has “reinvested time in doing fewer things a whole lot better.”
For example, the chain has upgraded to a higher-quality chicken breast and is making guacamole fresh in house every day. Recipe tweaks have also made bone-in chicken wings and bacon crispier.
All of this has resulted in higher guest satisfaction scores, according to Chili’s. There are also plans to upgrade fajitas and ribs this year.
Faster service
Chili’s is also trying to make customers happier by speeding up service.
The restaurant now uses a technique with steak that cooks both sides of the meat at the same time, cutting preparation time by up to 40%. Chili’s also has nixed chicken portioning to save time, and removed the “It’s Just Wings” station tower from a fry area, which reduces cleaning time and frees up space for cooks.
After testing TurboChefs in some restaurants and gradually expanding them to other locations, Chili’s now plans to use TurboChefs in all its restaurants. These are ovens that employ a combination of modern cooking methods to drastically speed up cooking time compared to conventional ovens.
Viral marketing
Chili’s has rolled out a “better than fast food” TV marketing campaign and a “Triple Dipper” social media campaign. Together, these efforts to publicize Chili’s have caused foot traffic and guest counts to jump.
CNN reports that TikTok videos of customers indulging in gooey mozzarella sticks have gone viral. So has a separate TikTok effort to publicize the Triple Dipper platter, which allows customers to choose three appetizers for under $20. Although the platter has been available for many years, social media coverage has boosted its popularity.
Chili’s notes that the Triple Dipper campaign is also bringing in younger customers, and that customers who order a Triple Dipper are coming back more frequently than other customers.
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