Chili's baby back ribs
Chili's plans to invest in its core menu items — burgers, ribs and fajitas.
 

DALLAS — Say goodbye to 50 items on the Chili’s Grill & Bar menu. The restaurant brand, a subsidiary of Brinker International Inc., is cutting its menu by 40% and investing in improving the quality and value of its core menu items — burgers, ribs and fajitas.

Chili’s opened its first restaurant in Dallas in 1975 as a burger shack with a lineup of 25 menu items. In January of this year, the chain’s menu peaked with 125 items, making it one of the largest chain restaurant menus, Chili’s said.

Chili's fajitas
The new Chili's menu will feature just 75 items.
 

“Over the years, like many bar and grill chains, Chili’s 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,” the company said. “Chili’s is going back to its roots.” 

On Sept. 18, Chili’s will launch its new “less is more” menu featuring 75 items.

Kelli Valade, Chili's
Kelli Valade, president of Chili’s
“We value every guest, and we know that cutting even one entree like Mango Chili Tilapia, or a delicious appetizer like Crispy Asparagus could disappoint a guest who loves that dish,” said Kelli Valade, president of Chili’s. “But, guests have also told us they know that today no restaurant can be everything to everyone. So, by eliminating 40% of our menu, we’ve reinvested in meatier burgers, ribs and fajitas — the items that we’ve always been known for. We apologize to any guest who misses a departed dish, but with this bold move we commit to all guests to do a better job of serving our famous food on every visit, in every restaurant.”