I went to Chili's and saw why the chain is competing with fast-food joints like McDonald's
NEWS | 16 August 2026
Chili's is hot. The restaurant chain continues to reap the rewards of its turnaround: Same-store sales grew 6% during the company's fourth quarter, parent company Brinker International reported on Wednesday. That marks the 21st consecutive quarter that Chili's reported same-store sales growth, Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman said during the company's earnings call. There are several aspects to Chili's turnaround. The restaurant chain has adopted a cheeky posting style on social media, which has drawn in Gen Z diners. It's also upgraded lots of outdated technology, such as the tablets that its waitstaff use to send orders to the kitchen. Chili's is also competing with unlikely rivals: Fast-food chains. Some of the chain's newest menu items appear to take on McDonald's classics like the Quarter Pounder, for instance. "The customer reviews and social media comments have been excellent, declaring Chili's victorious for size, price, value, and taste versus fast food," Hochman said during the company's earnings call. McDonald's latest quarterly comparable sales growth came in at 0.8% — a slower pace that CEO Chris Kempczinski attributed to execution problems, such as the rollout of its latest value menu. The burger giant also replaced its US president when it reported earnings last week. A few years ago, referring to Chili's and McDonald's as rivals would have made no sense. So, having not been to a Chili's restaurant in over two decades, I wanted to see how exactly the chain is managing to eat the Golden Arches' lunch. Here's what my visit was like. Do you have a story idea about Chili's? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely .
Author: More Stories. Alex Bitter. Every Time. Look Out For An Alert In Your Inbox The Next Time.
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