Chili's Posts 22nd Straight Comps Gain as Brinker Revenue Hits $1.48B

Chili's grew same-store sales 10.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, its 22nd consecutive quarter of comp growth, pushing three-year cumulative comps to 52%. The quarter, ended Sept. 23, lapped 21% growth last year and 14% growth in 2024. Traffic rose 6%. Brinker International's total revenues reached $1.48 billion, up from $1.35 billion a year earlier. Net income climbed to $113 million, or $2.64 per share, from $99.5 million, or $2.17 per share.

Brinker opened six restaurants in the quarter, bringing its portfolio to 1,641 locations.

Can Chili's keep comping on big numbers?

CEO Kevin Hochman addressed the skeptics directly on Wednesday's earnings call. "People repeatedly said we cannot possibly continue to comp on top of big comp numbers," he said. "Our Q1 result, with three consecutive years of double-digit comp growth, driven by traffic gains, proves our strategy is sustainable, even with a difficult macro."

Hochman acknowledged the consumer backdrop: inflation, gas prices, and broader economic uncertainty. When discretionary spending tightens, he argued, consumers retreat to brands they trust. In his phrasing, "the weak get weaker and strong get stronger."

The growth engine is traffic, not discounting. Hochman said the company converts new guests into regular guests and has "very strong commercial and operational plans to keep the flywheel going."

Menu and marketing: what is driving the traffic?

The Big Crispy Chicken sandwich platform held its ground. Chili's sold 55 crispy chicken sandwiches per day per restaurant in Q1, matching the fourth quarter's pace. The sandwich carries an aggressive, ongoing marketing campaign that takes direct aim at fast-food chains — a positioning play that pits a casual-dining menu item against quick-service price points.

But Hochman credited fundamentals, not new items. The company refined labor scheduling tools and coached team members on execution basics, including cooking pasta correctly. These practices come from the "North of Six" playbook — operating standards lifted from the chain's best-performing restaurants.

"While our competitors were hard at work launching new items and new offers, we continue to keep operations focused on the fundamentals of delivering a great restaurant experience," Hochman said. "We believe this focus will allow us to spend more time on what is important versus free limited-time offers that will not have a lasting impact on the business."

That is a deliberate menu-engineering stance: no chase of free LTOs, no heavy couponing, sustained investment in the items and operations already proven to drive visits.

What is happening at Maggiano's?

The other Brinker brand tells a different story. Maggiano's same-store sales fell 3.4% in the quarter. Brinker is attacking what it calls missed opportunities within the business, notably banquet sales, which rose 11% last quarter. "Showing us that we can turn around Maggiano's results," Hochman said of the banquet figure.

The banquet channel matters for a reason: it fills weekday and off-peak capacity that a la carte dining leaves empty, improving labor utilization without adding covers at peak times.

The numbers that frame the story

• Same-store sales: +10.1% at Chili's, its 22nd straight quarterly gain
• Three-year cumulative comps: 52%; traffic up 6% this quarter
• Total revenues: $1.48 billion vs. $1.35 billion a year ago
• Net income: $113 million ($2.64 per share) vs. $99.5 million ($2.17)
• Units: 1,641 total after six openings; Maggiano's comps down 3.4%

Chili's has now stacked three consecutive years of double-digit comps on traffic gains while rivals lean on limited-time offers, and the next test is whether the flywheel holds through a full fiscal year of macro pressure.