When does Chili's close? Viral social media posts spread misinformation about chain

Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

Despite what the internet may tell you, Chili's, the popular bar and grill, is not closing.

Viral social media posts, claiming the restaurant chain is closing all its locations, are circulating. But the company told Forbes the rumors are false.

How did the rumor about Chili's closing begin?

According to Snopes, which fact-checks internet content, the rumor began this month after "users misinterpreted a misleading headline" from an article published by the Taste of Home blog. That article was picked up by MSN.com and several websites associated with country music radio stations.

In the article, Taste of Home reported Chili's supposedly closed three locations in the first three months of 2024. However, social media users who failed to read the entire article began sharing it out, claiming the whole chain was closing, according to Snopes.

In an emailed statement to Snopes, a spokesperson for Brinker International, Chili's parent company, said the rumor constituted "misinformation and mischaracterizations" about its state of business.

Despite social media posts to the contrary, Chili's is not closing, restaurant officials tell Forbes.
Despite social media posts to the contrary, Chili's is not closing, restaurant officials tell Forbes.

Chili's reporting year-over-year growth

The Forbes article reports Chili's showed a 3.5% growth in sales during the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, when compared to third quarter of 2023, according to its fiscal report. Chili's credits that to a price increase and a spike in dine-in traffic. The company said the growth was “significantly better than restaurant industry averages.”

Chili's operates more than 1,500 locations, and has closed fewer than 20 locations since 2023. According to Forbes, Chili's didn’t indicate plans to close anymore stores. However, the company said it sometimes makes "a tough decision” to close a store, but it’s not “a negative indicator of brand health.”

How many restaurants does Chili's have in Ohio?

Chili's operates about 25 restaurants in Ohio, according to its website. Those include five in the Akron-Canton area, three in the Greater Cincinnati area and four in the Greater Columbus area.

While Chili's remains, Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy

While Chili's has been fighting off rumors of its closure, another restaurant chain – Red Lobster – has filed for bankruptcy and has closed some locations.

USA TODAY reports Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Florida, the company confirmed Sunday. It is closing 87 stores in 27 states, with some of the restaurant equipment going up for auction by a liquidator. Red Lobster locations in Ohio remain open.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Is Chili's closing? Here's what's really going on with the chain