Latest news with #Chilis
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Surprising restaurant chain claims the title as America's margarita king
Chili's holds the title of America's margarita king after pulling off ' the best comeback of all time.' Margaritas are the top-selling cocktail in the US, and Chili's sells more than any other restaurant brand nationwide. Last year alone, it sold more than 25 million margaritas. Chief marketing officer (CMO) George Felix revealed its iconic margaritas are an important part of the restaurant chain while speaking with Marketing Dive. The beverages also inspired Chili's to walk on the creative side and create a rom-com short film with Lifetime titled 'I'll Be Home for National Margarita Day.' The movie, starring Taye Diggs and Maria Menounos, premiered less than a week before National Margarita Day in February. Chili's also celebrated its fan-favorite Presidente Margarita by releasing a music video as part of its 'Ride the Dente' campaign with Spire Motorsports. The chain is a frequent Talladega Superspeedway sponsor, and it brought a margarita shaker-shaped mechanical bull to a NASCAR event last month. 'It's fun to see the NASCAR audience really get to experience the true meaning of Ride the 'Dente,' Felix said. 'We think that reaching the NASCAR audience with the country music approach seemed like a great fit.' The CMO hinted the brand is currently thinking of ideas for next year's National Margarita Day, and hopes the Lifetime partnership 'spurs more celebrations of a really important holiday.' Until then, Chili's is busy advertising its Radical 'Rita, a limited-time beverage, and May's margarita of the month. The brand recruited 90s icon Tiffani Thiessen to help promote the newest margarita, available for $6 at participating locations until Saturday. Thiessen rose to fame for her role as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell. 'Everyone knows me from my days on America's favorite '90s sitcom, but what they might not know is that I also love a great margarita — and some of my favorite early memories with my husband were made at Chili's,' she said. 'Chili's really knows how to tap into the spirit of such an iconic decade — one I'm especially fond of — with their Radical 'Rita.' Chili's named its new Radical 'Rita this month's margarita of the month. The drink will be available for $6 until May 31 With May wrapping up, Chili's is expected to name its newest margarita of the month shortly. Chili's margarita boom comes after its stunning earnings hike. The restaurant chain has seen a surge in customers since last year and not followed in the footsteps of competition that's filed for bankruptcy. Chili's is also one of many companies that offer music and free Wi-Fi in restaurants, two things experts claim are fueling the chain's comeback. Its competitors have not been so lucky. Applebee's shuttered nearly 100 locations between 2023 and 2024, with 35 being closed last year. TGI Fridays has been getting slaughtered financially and now has less than 100 US restaurants after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November. These restaurants, along with recent filers Hooters and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, are known for offering fan-favorite drink deals year-round similar to Chili's.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Chili's and Applebee's shut down neighboring restaurants in the same city on the same day
A Florida community watched as two fast-casual restaurant titans permanently closed on the same day. Residents in Sarasota are going to have to find a new spot for enchiladas and mozzarella sticks: the local Chili's and Applebee's restaurants both closed. Final plates were served at the Chili's on May 19. The restaurant had been open since 1986. 'It was a great place to hang with friends and meet new ones,' Judd McKean, a local resident and self-described bar-fly, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune about the closure. 'I'll definitely miss the place.' Restaurant-goers who want to grab a bite at the chain can still head to the Chili's location closer to Lake Sarasota. Similarly, the final Applebee's $1 margaritas were also served from the University Parkway location on May 19. Another location is still serving diners in Fruitville. Nationally, Chili's and Applebee's have been on very different sales trajectories. Dine Brands Global, the owner of Applebee's, reported a 2.2 percent sales decline during its latest earnings on Tuesday. The corporation said Applebee's had raked in $1 billion in the first three months of 2025. In an effort to reinvigorate customers, Applebee's has leaned into more deals and better customer rewards. 'We are focused on elevating guests' experience, enhancing the menu by focusing on our core products, and better communicating offers through dynamic marketing,' John Peyton, the company's CEO, said during the company's March earnings call. Meanwhile, Chili's has had a surprising resurgence. Chili's parent company Brinker International made $1.43 billion inn revenue in the latest quarter, and Chili's same-store sales jumped 31.6 percent. Chili's solid performance has largely been attributed to the company's low-cost meals and constant mentions on social media. Chili's has received enormous goodwill on social media, with customers praising the brand's value-packed menu Fast casual chains across the US have been struggling with a toxic mix of higher food prices and lower consumer appetite Chili's is perhaps the red herring in the fast casual dining industry. Several big-name restaurants — including Hooters, Red Lobster, and TGI Fridays — have all shuttered hundreds of restaurants and declared bankruptcy. Restaurants have been dealing with a toxic mix of inflationary pressures on their offerings. Food prices have skyrocketed, leaving the companies with higher costs to run their stores. Meanwhile, middle-class shoppers, the core audience for the chains, have cut back on discretionary spending as they pay higher prices at the grocery store. Combining lower revenues with higher costs to stay alive has given several brands a poison pill. and cut back their year-long forecasts.
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Beastie Boys, UMG settle lawsuits against Chili's over 'Sabotage' ads
May 22 (Reuters) - Beastie Boys and Universal Music Group ( opens new tab settled lawsuits accusing the parent of Chili's of using the legendary rap trio's 1994 song "Sabotage" without permission in social media ads to promote the restaurant chain. Settlement notices were posted on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court and Dallas federal court, where Beastie Boys and UMG filed their respective cases against Chili's parent Brinker International (EAT.N), opens new tab. Terms were not disclosed. Lawyers for Beastie Boys, UMG and Brinker did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. "Sabotage" was a single from Beastie Boys' album "Ill Communication." It drew additional notice from its Spike Jonze-directed music video, a parody of 1970s TV police dramas. Beastie Boys objected to a Chili's video that they said included significant portions of "Sabotage" and echoed the actual "Sabotage" video. The video included "three characters wearing obvious 70s-style wigs, fake mustaches, and sunglasses who were intended to evoke the three members of Beastie Boys," according to the complaint. Beastie Boys said they do not license their intellectual property to third parties to advertise products, and late founding member Adam "MCA" Yauch forbade such use in his will. The trio's members also included Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and Michael "Mike D" Diamond. Founded in 1981 in New York City, Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012, less than one month before Yauch died. In June 2014, Beastie Boys won a $1.7 million jury verdict, opens new tab against energy drink maker Monster Beverage (MNST.O), opens new tab over a YouTube video that included a remix of its songs, including "Sabotage". As of March 26, Dallas-based Brinker owned, operated or franchised 1,573 Chili's and 53 Maggiano's Little Italy restaurants. The cases are Beastie Boys et al v Brinker International Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-05221; and UMG Recordings Inc et al v Brinker International Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, No. 24-02535.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Two very surprising things unrelated to food and drink are fueling the comeback of Chili's
Music and free Wi-Fi might not be on the menu — but they're helping bring customers back. A recent study by Technomic found that more diners want background music and free internet access when they go out to eat. The percentage of customers wanting music rose from 43 two years ago to 50 percent now, while demand for Wi-Fi rose to 45 from 41 percent. 'It's all about takeout and off-premise these days, but those are on-premise elements,' said Robert Byrne, director of consumer insights at Techmonic via Restaurant Business. 'Consumers still want on-premise elements that are enhanced when they go out to eat.' Recent studies also show that 88 percent of businesses worldwide play music,while fast food chains like McDonald's offer free Wi-Fi to thousands of restaurants. Byrne pointed to Chili's — credited with 'the best comeback of all time' after a surge in customers — and Taco Bell as examples of restaurant chains thriving in today's market. Both offer music and Wi-Fi at their locations and have posted strong financial results. Music and connectivity have become integral to the dining experience, particularly as technology evolves. Customers have higher expectations—and ambiance can be a deciding factor. 'People going out to eat generally want some ambiance in the restaurant,' Neil Saunders, the managing director of retail at GlobalData, told 'Music helps provide this and it can lift the mood and the vibe of an establishment.' He added that free Wi-Fi has become what some consider a 'hygiene factor' and that restaurants without it could be 'very annoying' for guests. The restaurant industry has already been struggling due to factors like inflation or preference changes, and tariffs have started to become a major concern. 'The whole uncertainty around tariffs from a consumer standpoint has really spooked them,' said Technomic Managing Principal Joe Pawlak, adding that customers who worry about the future will 'think about spending more judiciously.' Experts from the website found that average restaurant sales rose by only 3 percent overall last year, meaning unit growth and menu price increases have also caused the industry to suffer customer decline. Chili's is one of few restaurant chains that has survived the struggle after making ' the best comeback of all time.' Its foot traffic has significantly increased over the past year, and its same-store sales have risen more than 31 percent for the past two quarters. Experts believe its 3-for-Me offer for $10.99 and up and Big Smasher burger debut were crucial things that contributed to the increase. Unlike Chili's, Taco Bell has been consistently strong financially and experienced a 9 percent same-store sales growth. Taco Bell is known for regularly updating its menu items and heavily promoting them. 'They're always hitting the menu board with something new, something exciting, and they're able to turn that into advertising that makes you hungry,' Byrne said. While music and free Wi-Fi have proven to make a difference for restaurants, it didn't stop chains like Hooters from filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Other music-filled chains in trouble include On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and TGI Fridays, which only has 85 US restaurants left.
Entrepreneur
19-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Brinker International (EAT): My Best Stock for May 2025
Brinker International (EAT) is the owner of Chili's which is offering up a delicious combination of growth and value for investors making it my Stock of the Week selection. This story originally appeared on WallStreetZen I added Brinker International (EAT) to my Zen Investor portfolio on May 7th. Since then it has provided a rocket ride higher for investors. The best part is that today traders are taking some profits off the table providing a well timed pullback allowing new investors to get on board at a better price. Here is the rest of the story… You know them better as the restaurant company that owns Chili's. They are on a hell of an earnings momentum run since late 2022 where EPS has risen 3X and the share price has rallied 6X from valley to recent peak. Just like most stocks, they hit the skids earlier this year. But the continued sell off after their most recent beat and raise is a bit of a head scratcher. From what I see their only concern with tariffs is the cost of avocados. If that is your biggest you don't really have a problem as the growth prospects for the Chili's brand should remain quite robust. This is best seen in the $8.78 EPS estimate for this year which is more than twice as good as last year at only $4.10. The pace of growth is expected to moderate into 2026 yet still impressive with a $9.79 outlook. The Zen Ratings are picking up on the fundamental attractiveness of shares with an A rating overall. Even better than that it is in the top 2% of all stocks analyzed plus; Top 20% Value Top 7% Growth Top 6% Financials In my book Growth and Financials are the most important components of the Zen Ratings to increase the odds of more earnings beats ahead to propel shares higher. Top analysts are also picking up what EAT is putting down. Like the $170 target from John Tower of Citigroup. Even better is the $208 street high target from the analyst at Goldman Sachs. With shares trading under $150, and such a bright earnings outlook, then you should be happy to EAT up these shares on the fortunate dip given their stellar upside prospects. What To Do Next? Brinker International (EAT) is just one of the stellar 18 stocks found in my Zen Investor portfolio. I pick these stocks based upon their attractiveness in our proven Zen Ratings model. Plus keying in on lessons learned over my 45 year investing career. Over that time I have seen 7 bear markets, 8 bull markets, and just about everything between. Analyzing this current investment landscape led me to add new 3 stocks earlier in May that are perfectly suited for this market environment. The only way to see these top picks is to become a Zen Investor member. Gladly that is a very simple process. And right now comes with the ability to save up to 50% on your membership. Discover the Zen Investor & My Top Stocks Now > Wishing you a world of investment success! Steve Reitmeister…but everyone calls me Reity (pronounced 'Righty') Editor of the Zen Investor What to Do Next?
