Posted on 09/08/2017 12:20:14 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Chilis, a restaurant chain thats part of Brinker International Inc. EAT, +3.68% , said Friday that on Sept. 18, menus nationwide will be reduced to 75 items, down from 125 appetizers, entrees, cocktails and more, the total reached in January. The chain launched in 1975 with a 25-item menu that included burgers, beer and margaritas. The new, reduced menu will give the chain the room to focus on its core menu of burgers, ribs and fajitas, the company said.
Over the years, like many bar and grill chains, Chilis chased consumer trends, expanded the menu and tried to be all things to all guests, therefore compromising execution and resulting in a fuzzy food reputation, Chilis said in a statement.
The restaurant industry has been in a slump, most recently recording its sixth consecutive quarter of traffic declines according to data from The NPD Group. Traffic at casual dining restaurants is down 3% for the year ending June 2017.
...
Experts also agree that the menu reduction is a way to cut costs and reduce food waste.
With large variability in the cost of various proteins and the difficulty of raising prices to your customers in this low-inflation environment, it makes sense for restaurant groups to refocus their menus on higher margin, more popular items, said Greg Wank, partner and leader of Anchin, Block & Anchins food and beverage industry practice.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
There is a local place outside Columbia, SC called Grecian Gardens.
It is excellent overall. The place has the best fried flounder in town.
Another fellow runs a cart and does catering called Wurst Wagen that I discovered by chance a few years ago. Excellent German sausage. I love the cheesewurst.
I recently ate at a Chili’s and the food was downright terrible.
I vowed... NEVER AGAIN.
Absolutely the worst meal I’ve had out in a very long time.
Just thankful my town doesn’t have one.
MSGs = pain and misery for hours, especially pounding headaches and what feels like a hangover of sorts for a bit longer.
Glad I don’t have that problem.
Monosodium Glutamate, MSG,is the main ingredient of Accent food enhancer......................
Back when Danville, VA was a humming textile town a man opened an “eating establishment” for the mill workers.
His menu consisted of pinto beans, cornbread and RC cola.
No tables, no chairs and the only condiments were salt, pepper and onions.
The workers could get a bowl of beans a slab of cornbread and a cold RC cola for a filling lunch.
He knew his market and catered to it.
He paid for a modest house and helped two of his three children through college.
I wonder if Cheesecake Factory sees the same need for menu shrinking?
My last trip to one was back in June, and it was the first visit to one in years. I found a menu that was more like a book. I was not displeased about the food I had there, but I was VERY surprised about the size of the menu.
I have to so much more careful about chain places.
Sonic, McD, and the majority of the others are out.
Mom and pop are usually tamer.
A bout of MSG is a rough time in my case.
Most of the Asian restaurants here have signs that say “NO MSG!”.......................
“Most of the Asian restaurants here have signs that say NO MSG!”
What about dogs and cats?
5.56mm
Their baby back ribs are fantabulous.
Optional................
I’d like to see them bring back their chiliburger, too. It’s been years since they stopped selling them. The hamburgers nowadays have tiny, crappy buns, and are so dry I actually choked on one.
I think their employees need to wear more flare...
I didn’t know they got rid of the chil’’s burger.
Here’s a copy of the original menu. It was all great! It may have been the first place to use the macHine to make frozenargarita’s.
“Chilis no longer makes good food. No reason to eat there.”
Agree. When I started going there, in the 80s, it was great. Over the years, they did away with my favorite items and got worse and worse. I quit going several years ago.
Sort of like In-n-Out Burgers now - which easily taste better than Micky-Ds...:^)
Still will not set foot in a Chili’s.
That’s long gone, good luck finding a operating grill in a fast food joint, McDonalds burgers are cooked offsite, frozen then microwaved when ordered. yum yum.
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