How Chili’s Became the Hottest Restaurant in the Country

On a clear, cool morning in early April 2024, a small group of employees from the Chili’s at 45th and Lamar huddled around the restaurant’s entrance with Mayor Kirk Watson. The city leader was on hand for a special occasion: to christen the eatery with its own special day. “Whereas, the grassroots popularity of Chili’s at 45th & Lamar embodies the special kind of weirdness that makes Austin, well, Austin,” Watson read. “I, Kirk Watson, a particular fan of the Santa Fe Salad with grilled chicken and mayor of the City of Austin, Texas, do hereby proclaim April 5, 2024 as Chili’s at 45th & Lamar Day.”

Local love for this specific location began to emerge as a meme around a decade or so ago, but the exact origins are unclear. Though it seems like the fandom was initially a good-natured punchline, Austinites riffed on the idea so often that the tongue-in-cheek adoration has become reality—the culinary equivalent of an ironic T-shirt that you eventually just love unabashedly. Last year, internet personality Evil MoPac joked that the restaurant had won a coveted Michelin star, and someone brought a bar stool from the establishment out to ACL Fest this year instead of a folding chair. You’ve gotta admire the commitment to the bit.

While denizens of the capital city have been partial to Chili’s for some time, the restaurant chain has also seen a recent surge in popularity across the nation.

“We’ve doubled down on two big things: putting guests at the center of everything we do and taking creative swings,” says Chili’s vice president of marketing Jesse Johnson. “That means we’re constantly listening—to what people are saying in restaurants, on social, and in real time—and moving quickly when something resonates.”

The exec has no shortage of examples to cite as evidence. When the company noticed their fried mozzarella and Triple Dipper appetizers trending on TikTok, they leaned into it by creating new flavors and merch around the popular offerings. Playing into the country’s growing love of Western wear, the company partnered with Tecovas to make boots out of the eatery’s recognizable red leather booths. Chili’s has even done full immersive marketing campaigns like their Fast Food Financing pop-up in New York City. As a jab at overpriced fast food, patrons entered a kitschy loan office and filled out fake applications for a gift card to try the restaurant’s new Big QP burger.

The activation reveals a couple of key things about the chain’s understanding of our present cultural moment. First, they understand the economic crunch that many Americans are feeling, and second, they know people could use a fun moment—something that might end up going viral on social media or at least be shared with friends as a joke. Perhaps most importantly, those insights show that Chili’s gets the youngest members of its clientele.

“Gen Z has a sharp radar for authenticity,” Johnson says. “They gravitate toward brands that don’t take themselves too seriously and play in the same spaces they do.” For the restaurant’s marketing team, that means interacting on social media with a tone that feels relatable, playful, and confident. “We’re in on the joke,” he says.

Eliana Smith, a Round Rock native who now attends Wellesley College outside of Boston, recently drove over an hour just to eat at the nearest Chili’s. Her favorite order is a side of mac ‘n’ cheese and a margarita, and she says the restaurant chain is a go-to spot for celebrating birthdays among her friends. While Smith says she genuinely likes the atmosphere, she adds, “There’s something kind of funny about Chili’s.” Taking a boomerang video of her visits for Instagram is a tradition, which she says no one her age ever posts those seriously. 

That makes sense for a generation that employs cheesy photo filters and thrives on an endless supply of internet memes decipherable only to those already in the know. You can think of Chili’s as the Comic Sans of restaurants. Which is fitting considering that Gen Z has embraced the once-maligned font (along with Papyrus and others that most designers consider abhorrent).

For young people these days, doing something for a laugh is far more important than looking cool. In many ways, Gen Z’s post-cringe mindset makes them an ideal target demographic for the restaurant chain. The youngest members of our society have leaned so hard into irony, they’re looping back around to sincerity.

That’s all understandable for a group of people who face mounting global crises and have experienced their entire lives through the firehose of information that is the internet. The world is exhausting, and it’s hard to imagine a less complicated place to have a meal than Chili’s.

In light of that approachability, Smith points out an important side effect: “It’s also interesting to be at Chili’s and be like, “Wow, all these people are here and they’re such an interesting mix of people.” In short, the restaurant is for everyone, from teens trying to save a buck to millennials with kids and retirees who love routine. It’s the place you go for a family meal when you’re home for college. Or the spot for an end-of-year office party where you discover that you have a lot more in common with a coworker than you ever realized.

There’s a reason Pam Beesly declared, “I feel God in this Chili’s tonight,” on season two of The Office. That was 20 years ago, and Pam’s remark was way ahead of its time, but the sentiment feels even more true today. Hey, we’ll raise our glasses of Presidente Margaritas to that. 

Jingle All the Way

Chili’s’ famous baby back ribs song was cooked up by an Austin agency.

“I want my baby back, baby back, baby back…” If you start singing Chili’s’ famed jingle, there’s a near certainty that anyone within earshot will be familiar enough with it to join in—and neither of you will be able to get the song out of your head for the rest of the day. But did you realize that one of the most unforgettable morsels of marketing from the ’90s was created right here in the capital city?

Advertising exec Guy Bommarito was working as creative director at Austin-based firm GSD&M when he found himself in a desperate situation. Bommarito revealed to Vice in an interview that back in 1996, his agency had bombed a campaign so badly that they were on the brink of being fired by Chili’s. So, the restaurant chain gave them one final chance by asking for a song to promote their ribs. At the time, jingles were seen by creative agencies as one of the most undesirable forms of work, but Bommarito needed to save the account.

After whipping up the song in a matter of minutes, he eventually just sang it over the phone to the clients to get their approval. While he assumed that the jingle would be a simple promo around one menu offering, the catchy tune ended up generating a massive influx of business for the restaurant—and garnering Bommarito and Chili’s eternal advertising fame. Looking back, it’s easy to understand why: The infectious melody is just as delectable as a baby back rib smothered in barbecue sauce.