Chili’s has poured $105 million into its marketing budget in just 3 years—and sales are sizzling

(Credit: Getty Images—Bloomberg)

• Chili’s has seen a major comeback, reporting a 24% sales jump and 16% increase in traffic this quarter, driven by creative marketing and a focus on value Under CEO Kevin Hochman and CMO George Felix, the brand has tapped into nostalgia, viral social-media moments, and playful stunts while tripling its marketing budget over three years.

“Chili’s is officially back, baby back,” Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman said in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report released Wednesday, a nod at the beloved casual-dining chain’s iconic jingle from the 1990s.