How Chili’s Got Burned And Came Back

Today, we're diving into a cornucopia of appetizers to find out how Chili's came back

With nearly 2,000 locations and worldwide holdings in 27 different countries, Chili's has certainly

come a long way from its humble beginnings in Dallas, Texas. Throughout the 70s and into the

early 80s, founder Larry Levine's Chili's Grill and Bar was a haven for so-called hamburger hippies

With a laid-back approach to service industry woes, Levine and his staff adopted the motto

Let's play restaurant. But for Levine, this was just business. I used to say our customers were anybody breathing

We got young and old, and it just fit everybody. Starting with its second ever location in 1976

this Houston, Texas Chili's was followed by an additional 16 restaurants by 1983

Norman Breaker, founder of the Steak and Ale Chains, purchased all 18 Chili's locations that same year

From the late 80s into the early aughts, Chili's experienced new worlds of success

With an abundance of locations, things really got cooking at this Texas staple

But that's nothing compared to the cultural impact of another Chili's specialty

Although the baby back ribs were first served in 1986, it would be another decade before the So Catchy It Hurts theme first wriggled into our eardrums

I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back ribs was everywhere. From major features in Austin Powers gags to official covers by NSYNC and Boyz II Men this jingle was built to last Chili finally put the jingle to rest in 2006 and they even brought that jingle back within a few years And then again And again

Speaking of the spotlight, Chili's was heavily featured in a fan-favorite episode of The Office

The Client, which originally aired in 2005, gave the show one of its most quoted lines

and practically sent Office fans scrambling to the nearest booth. And while things seemed to be on the up-and-up for the red pepper

it was only a matter of time before Chili's took a tumble. By the end of the 2010s, casual dining had fallen out of favor

Some foodies were ready for something new. In 2018, the company suffered a 4.4% loss in sales

That same year, Chili's was hit by a data breach, which exposed banking information from many of its valued customers

And although Chili's was just as susceptible to the ever-advancing technology of data hackers as any other corporation

that kind of press is never good. When the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in 2019, Chili's took losses on a level previously unseen

And although they ultimately survived the crisis, it was a hard road

Chili's decided you can't put baby back ribs in a corner and began to make some changes

First, they got with the times. By going ham on various social media platforms, the Big Red Pepper started popping up everywhere by 2022

With low-stakes ads that appeal to elder millennials and Zoomers alike, the company had found an unexpected new customer base

Chili's has continued to honor its roots in serving something for anyone

Now, it's time to start planning next year's Dundies