If you went to Chili’s recently and felt like it wasn’t quite as good as you remember it…well…
Just know that plenty of other people are feeling the same way.
(And they’re making themselves heard.)
Here’s my best guess as to why…
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It’s not any one thing, but a bunch of stuff all hitting at once.
But maybe one of them matters more than all the others?
Please discuss in the comments! I want to know what you think is the most important issue leading to the decline.
And we’ll start with an obvious one…
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One of my biggest beefs with Chili’s is all the menu shrinkage.
They don’t even serve chili anymore!
Or nachos.
Or their buffalo chicken salad. Fried pickles.
(Here’s a more complete list of the losses.)
Is Chili’s getting away from what made it great in the first place?
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We’ve seen this lots of places, but honestly I never though Chili’s would give in and shrink meals.
Nonetheless, I’m seeing lots of reports from people who’ve experienced “shrinkflation” at Chili’s with dinky meal sizes.
Listen, I’m happy to pay whatever I have to, but I want a good-sized meal.
That’s part of hospitality!
Time was everyone understood that.
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Fortunately Chili’s hasn’t pulled a Waffle House and added a surcharge to eggs – at least, it hasn’t happened yet! – but we’ve all seen prices increase over the years.
And combined with declining portion sizes, it’s so frustrating.
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There was a time when Chili’s was serving really different food from a lot of other places.
But now it’s just kinda the same “Americana” food – as Chili’s has gotten rid of lots of its unique dishes.
(Popeyes is another example – they used to really live into cajun food like jambalaya – now it’s just about all gone.)
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This is anecdotal, but everyone I’ve talked to agrees that the service at Chili’s is worse than it used to be.
(And I’ve seen plenty of posts online about this as well.)
Food coming out late, food coming out cold, drinks not being refilled, trash left on the table – all the sort of thing that just doesn’t really scream “hospitality.”
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Have you noticed that the food doesn’t taste as good?
You’re not alone.
I’m not sure what’s happening here, but it’s just felt like many of the newer recipes have been pretty solidly mediocre, and often replacing great older recipes.
So the overall quality has declined even while many older dishes have stayed pretty good. (The fajitas and burgers continue to be great.)
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This isn’t Chili’s fault, but the vibe has shifted since the pandemic.
With so many more people ordering takeout, even if the staff are slammed with orders, there just aren’t all that many filled tables.
It’s just not as fun when the restaurant isn’t filled!
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I’ve got two small children at home, so I’m not all that focused on eating as healthily as possible…
But with prices increasing, portions decreasing, the quality not being amazing…
The fact that Chili’s food isn’t exactly good for you kind of starts to matter more. You know?
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At its core, this is a big part of the problem for Chili’s.
Its fajitas are pretty good. But you can get better fajitas at a Mexican restaurant.
Its burgers are pretty good – but you can get better burgers at a burger place.
The salads are fine – but Sweetgreen’s or Panera’s are better.
Right?
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Mom and pop restaurants are usually better than chains, when it comes down to it.
And with the rise of DoorDash and Uber Eats and internet reviews…now they’re more accessible than ever.
Chili’s becomes kind of a waste of time when you can get better food for the same price point from a local spot.
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So there you have it – 10 reasons dining Chili’s isn’t as great as it used to be.
And I want to be very clear about something – I’m not blaming Chili’s for all of these reasons.
Some of them are very much outside Chili’s control.
But fact of the matter is that times have changed.
Will Chili’s change with it?
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But the bigger question, I think, is – what would you add to the list?
Or where do you think I’ve been unfair?
What advice would YOU give to Chili’s?
Let us know in the comments!
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