09 September, 2017
Efforts such as making Chili's food appear more "Instagram-able" have targeted millennials, despite the generation's general resistance to casual dining chains.
The chain of casual restaurants has made a decision to cut its menu by 40% later this month, renewing its focus on classics like burgers.
"By eliminating 40 percent of our menu, we've reinvested in meatier burgers, ribs and fajitas - the items that we've always been known for", said Kelli Valade, president of Chili's. Chili's today has announced that its menu - a Poor Richard's Almanack of Tex-Mex stretching 18 sections long - will be pared down by almost half, to a more respectable 75 items.
By January 2017, the menu offered 125 options.
Higher-ups are still deciding exactly which items to drop.
"We value every Guest and we know that cutting even one entrée like Mango Chili Tilapia, or a delicious appetizer like Crispy Asparagus could disappoint a Guest who loves that dish", she explained in the comapny's statement.
Chili's - owned by Brinker International, Inc. Brinker operates more than 1,600 Chili's locations in 31 countries and two territories.
"Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants, and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants", Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith wrote in a letter to shareholders earlier this year. Many felt they needed to add healthier fare to keep up with diners' tastes.
The casual dining chain announced on Friday that it is cutting 40% of items from its menu.
That may mean that items like the California Grilled Chicken Flatbread (topped with avocado slices) and the Bacon Avocado Chicken Sandwich could be among the first to go.
