Surprising restaurant chain claims the title as America's margarita king
Margaritas are the top-selling cocktail in the US, and Chili's sells more than any other restaurant brand nationwide.
Last year alone, it sold more than 25 million margaritas.
Chief marketing officer (CMO) George Felix revealed its iconic margaritas are an important part of the restaurant chain while speaking with Marketing Dive.
The beverages also inspired Chili's to walk on the creative side and create a rom-com short film with Lifetime titled 'I'll Be Home for National Margarita Day.'
The movie, starring Taye Diggs and Maria Menounos, premiered less than a week before National Margarita Day in February.
Chili's also celebrated its fan-favorite Presidente Margarita by releasing a music video as part of its 'Ride the Dente' campaign with Spire Motorsports.
The chain is a frequent Talladega Superspeedway sponsor, and it brought a margarita shaker-shaped mechanical bull to a NASCAR event last month.
'It's fun to see the NASCAR audience really get to experience the true meaning of Ride the 'Dente,' Felix said.
'We think that reaching the NASCAR audience with the country music approach seemed like a great fit.'
The CMO hinted the brand is currently thinking of ideas for next year's National Margarita Day, and hopes the Lifetime partnership 'spurs more celebrations of a really important holiday.'
Until then, Chili's is busy advertising its Radical 'Rita, a limited-time beverage, and May's margarita of the month.
The brand recruited 90s icon Tiffani Thiessen to help promote the newest margarita, available for $6 at participating locations until Saturday.
Thiessen rose to fame for her role as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell.
'Everyone knows me from my days on America's favorite '90s sitcom, but what they might not know is that I also love a great margarita — and some of my favorite early memories with my husband were made at Chili's,' she said.
'Chili's really knows how to tap into the spirit of such an iconic decade — one I'm especially fond of — with their Radical 'Rita.'
Chili's named its new Radical 'Rita this month's margarita of the month. The drink will be available for $6 until May 31
With May wrapping up, Chili's is expected to name its newest margarita of the month shortly.
Chili's margarita boom comes after its stunning earnings hike.
The restaurant chain has seen a surge in customers since last year and not followed in the footsteps of competition that's filed for bankruptcy.
Chili's is also one of many companies that offer music and free Wi-Fi in restaurants, two things experts claim are fueling the chain's comeback.
Its competitors have not been so lucky.
Applebee's shuttered nearly 100 locations between 2023 and 2024, with 35 being closed last year.
TGI Fridays has been getting slaughtered financially and now has less than 100 US restaurants after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November.
These restaurants, along with recent filers Hooters and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, are known for offering fan-favorite drink deals year-round similar to Chili's.
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