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Simplification has helped Chili’s Grill & Bar maintain sales in a challenging consumer environment, executives said Wednesday.
“The simplification and investments we’ve been layering into the business over the past two years have put us in a position to win in a market where customers want great food, great service at a great value,” said Keven Hochman, president and CEO of parent Brinker International Inc., which released its first-quarter earnings Wednesday.
The Dallas-based parent to the Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy casual-dining brands posted same-store sales were up 13% systemwide and 14.1% at Chili’s and 4.2% at Maggiano’s.
“Over the past 2.5 years, we’ve removed around a quarter of our menu to focus on our core four offerings: burgers, crispers, fajitas, and margaritas, which now represent 47% of our business,” Hochman said.