Brinker International plans to open 20 to 30 new Chili's restaurants annually through fiscal 2029, part of a broader growth strategy that would lift its restaurant count 2% to 3% each year. The company has identified as many as 300 potential sites for future locations, according to Brinker Chief Financial Officer Mika Ware. The expansion follows five consecutive years of sales growth, with same-store sales at Chili's up 71% over that period, leadership announced at Brinker's 2026 Investor Day presentation on Sept. 17. Weekly visits per restaurant rose from about 3,400 in fiscal 2023 to 4,200 in fiscal 2026, while average annual sales per restaurant climbed from about $3.3 million to $5 million. Chili's is targeting the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Ohio beyond its strongest markets of California, Texas and Florida, and plans to remodel about 10% of its roughly 1,200 U.S. locations each year, with new restaurants costing about $5 million to $6 million to build.
Brinker International IncBrinker plans to open 20-30 new Chili's restaurants annually through fiscal 2029, lifting its restaurant count 2-3% per year as part of its growth strategy.
