Chili is America’s hottest restaurant

New York
Cnn
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Chili is on fire.

Chili’s sales at restaurants open for at least one year increased as much as 31% last quarter. It was Chili’s third equal quarter of double -digit sales growth, and the results drove the parent company Brinker International’s (EAT) share up 16% Wednesday.

The growth of the restaurant chain was driven by several customers visiting restaurants – not Chili’s swallowing prices. Foot traffic to chili rose 20% last quarter, the company said.

Analysts fertilized over Chili’s results on an earnings call and gave congratulations to the company 11 times. An analyst said the company’s turn was “the best of all time” in the restaurant industry, and another said that CEO Kevin Hochman “should write a good book on this one day.”

When chili has fallen behind flashers restaurants, chili’s by his comeback thanks to upgraded French fry and chicken leaves recipes, fast food-like deals And viral tiktok videos of customers pulling their bad mozzarella sticks apart.

Chili’s has blown up on Tiktok with his “Triple Dipper” dishCustomers let the customers choose between three appetizers – mozzarella sticks, southwest egg rolls and chicken wings – until less than $ 20. The dish had been around for decades, but Chili began announcing the prominent on social media last spring.

The deal became viral on social media. One Video By a customer diping mozzarella sticks in sauce and eating the leash cheese has more than 16 million views. “Never in my whole life would I have thought that Chili’s has the best, I dare say, Mozzarella Stick,” another customer said in one Video With 1.4 million views.

The viral success is to help the chain pull younger customers who had never visited a chili before and earlier associated with their parents.

Chili’s also wins customers hunting for $ 6 Margaritas appointments and a new $ 10.99 meal that includes the “Big Smasher” burger as it advertises as “twice the beef to a Big Mac.”

This combination has helped Chili Buck the recent restaurant slowdown. Institutions such as Red Lobster and TGI Fridays filed bankruptcy last year; Denny’s and Applebees advertised main shop closures; And customers reached their breach point with McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC’s prices.

However, competition has increased.

Applebee’s recently launched a $ 9.99 “Really Big Meal Deal” and suggested its deal was better than Chili’s “Big Smasher” value because it’s $ 1 cheaper. Applebee’s version also includes either a fried chicken sandwich or bacon cheeseburger, endless french fries and a soda.

In addition, Chili’s has announced its awards against McDonald’s and other fast food chains, but McDonald’s adapts.

McDonald’s recently revealed the “McValue” menu, a new budget -friendly category rolling out at US restaurants this month. The popular $ 5 meal agreement revealed earlier last year is the midpoint. Burger King and Wendy’s have also intensified their own value meals.

But Chili expects to be able to maintain his hot streak.

“Our sales have risen and they are staying at these levels, and that momentum has continued,” Hochman said on Wednesday.