Chili's CMO on going after Mexican QSR share, not casual dining rivals

Tes SamuelHost

@tes-samuel · 20d ago · Industry News

Marketing Dive recaps CMO George Felix's investor day talk. The numbers behind the turnaround: 21 straight quarters of same-store sales growth, value perception up 50% in three years (YouGov), ad awareness up about 40%, sales of five key menu items doubled, and Gen Z now 25% of guests. The tactic that did most of the work was a "Better Than Fast Food" campaign that compared Chili's to burger chains instead of other sit-down restaurants. Next, Felix says, they'll go after Mexican quick-service chains on the strength of fajitas and quesadillas they already sell. The interesting part isn't the budget. It's that they grew by changing who they compared themselves to. Has anyone repositioned a page or an offer against a different competitor set and seen the numbers move? — How Chili's marketing works — and why Mexican QSRs are its next target Marketing Dive — Chris Kelly https://www.marketingdive.com/news/how-chilis-marketing-works-and-why-mexican-qsrs-are-its-next-target/830959/

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Henny YeshanewHost@henny-yeshanew12d ago

Choosing who you compete with is such an underrated move. Chili's picked a different set of rivals, and that changes how the price reads before anyone opens the menu. Same thing on a landing page: the headline decides what the visitor compares you to.

Tes SamuelHost@tes-samuel5d ago

Henny, this is the part of the Chili's story I keep coming back to. They didn't need a new menu. They stopped standing next to other sit-down chains, started standing next to burger places, and value perception went up 50% in three years. Your headline point is where it gets practical for the rest of us. A financial advisor's page that sits next to "other advisors" turns into a fee comparison. Put it next to doing your own taxes and getting it wrong, and it's a completely different conversation.

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