Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) has excelled at driving traffic to its restaurant chains over the past couple of years.
Since arriving in 2022, CEO Kevin Hochman has engineered an impressive turnaround of the company’s flagship Chili’s Grill & Bar concept, positioning it to outperform the average in the casual dining category
As a result of his multiyear effort to improve operations and the brand’s image, Chili’s just recorded its 20th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth. While Hochman deserves credit for simplifying the menu and kitchen operations, the social media team may have actually kicked things off after a TikTok video featuring Chili’s mozzarella sticks went viral during the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2024. This was followed by the first quarter of traffic growth for Chili’s since Hochman’s arrival, and the customers just kept coming.
Chili’s continues to deliver Management’s focus on core menu offerings like burgers and fajitas while avoiding the constant rotation of limited-time deals has worked. The “3 for Me” value platform, which starts at $10.99 for a three-course meal, has been particularly effective at attracting customers from lower-income households, a demographic that many competitors are losing. At the height of the turnaround in the second and third quarters of its fiscal 2025, Chili’s posted same-store sales growth of 31.4% and 31.6%, respectively.