Chili's CEO: The "secret sauce" to the chain's huge comeback was this

"“We have a saying here: marketing brings them in, and ops brings them back,” Hochman told BI."

"“The marketing has to be exciting,” Hochman said. “And then the operators are in charge of creating that experience.”"

"“Essentially 100% of that can be attributed to social media,” Chili's Chief Marketing Officer George Felix told NPR."

"“These are the things nobody talks about,” he told BI. “But the everyday stuff, that makes us better and better, that's kind of been our secret sauce.”"

Chili's has returned to strong performance, reporting 20 consecutive quarters of growth and reaching its 50th year. The CEO attributes success to marketing and operations, using the idea that marketing brings customers in while operations bring them back. The chain emphasizes exciting marketing and consistent execution by operators to create the dining experience. A major sales driver is the Triple Dipper pick-three appetizer combo, which accounted for 14% of total sales. Viral social media popularity of deep-fried mozzarella sticks led to new flavors and high volume sales. The company also focuses on everyday fundamentals such as food quality, cleanliness, and quick service, along with menu upgrades and portion adjustments.

Read at Fast Company