Read this piece to see Dan Kois become reluctantly charmed by Chili’s, in his exploration of how this restaurant is making a huge comeback—with the help of influencers and the “hot mozz.” While taken aback by the brand’s fans, or “Chiliheads,” who describe a “fried appetizer iteration in the kinds of awestruck tones usually reserved for, like, the discovery of penicillin,” Kois, after consuming a lot of melted cheese, sees the appeal of the “mid” restaurant. Culminating in a Chili’s trip with some Gen Z teens, Kois reflects on the joy of going out together for some (cheap) food and hanging out in person, even if you might film the cheese pull for TikTok.
But it’s not just that Chili’s is making money hand over fist. The mozzarella sticks are going viral on TikTok. A Chili’s-produced minimovie celebrating National Margarita Day, starring Maria Menounos and Taye Diggs, just aired on Lifetime. And just when we thought hanging out was dead, Gen Z–ers seem to have rediscovered the joy of going out with friends, pounding a marg, and eating a gut-busting quantity of food. This 50-year-old chain restaurant, this totem of Scranton squareness, has somehow become … cool?
I visited Chili’s HQ outside Dallas to find out how it all happened. I operated a fryer for the first time since my teens, tried not to roll my eyes when people used the word Chilihead, and nerded out over the systems optimization that might be the brand’s secret weapon. I went to Texas dubious, but 9,000 calories later, I’m afraid I’ve become a true believer. Chili’s may not be the best restaurant in America—but it is the exact restaurant America needs right now.
More picks from Dan Kois
The Last Days of the Rainbow Warrior
“In 1985, a group of spies had a target—and a plan. It turned into one of the most sensationally botched crimes of the century.”
What Was A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius?
“Dave Eggers wrote a remarkable memoir, but its afterlife was even more extraordinary.”
Totally Cooked
“We picked the 25 most important recipes of the past century. Then I spent one month cooking every single one. I was not prepared.”
The Strange Saga of ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’
“The racist 1980s comedy broke box-office records worldwide—then promptly disappeared. The story behind it is revealing.”
Huge in Palm Springs
“An unlikely statue has become a rich-person controversy for the ages. In the California desert, I found out why.”
The Case for Hanging Out
“There’s a growing crisis in our social lives. Could the cure be this simple?”
