Casual dining isn’t dead, it just needed a better recipe.
When an operator fixes traffic, fattens margins, and still keeps the check friendly, you let it come to you, and then you dig in. Here’s today’s scoop.
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Strategic Positioning
Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) owns Chili’s and Maggiano’s, and, unlike many peers, still operates a big chunk of its restaurants in-house.
That matters. Running the stores yourself gives tighter control over menu, labor, and experience, which is how Chili’s has strung together a long run of positive same-store sales and improved unit economics.
For fiscal 2024, comps were up about 7%, and the latest quarter delivered revenue of ~$1.46B (+21% YoY) with EPS of $2.49, a small beat.
The story isn’t about financial engineering; it’s about blocking and tackling: fewer SKUs, better ops, real labor investment, and a crisp digital/loyalty flywheel.
A few levers driving the shift to more, please:
Menu focus: Chili’s cut >25% of items, pushed quality up on core proteins, and keeps tinkering with higher-velocity offerings (ribs, chicken, beverage innovation).
Labor & ops: Management poured >$160M more into staffing vs. FY22, which sounds expensive, until you see restaurant margins expand (think mid-teens to high-teens).
Digital & loyalty: Simpler menus and better throughput and a growing loyalty base means more repeat traffic without carpet-bombing promos.
Portfolio mix: Maggiano’s remains a margin-friendly special-occasion brand, while Chili’s is the traffic engine. Together, they smooth the ride.
Action Plan
Don’t just go in and buy this with a market order. It’s a buy-the-dip, add-on-proof situation.
Starter buy: $124–$132 (today ~$128.50) as the stock cools from summer highs.
Add on strength: Above $135–$138 if we see another comp-positive print with stable or better restaurant margin.
Near-term target: $144 (recent lowered target from Jefferies, use it as a sanity check).
Stretch target (12–18 mo): $160–$175 if traffic holds and FY26 EPS trends toward the $9.90–$10.50 guide.
Risk line: Reassess if price breaks $118 and comps turn negative with sequential margin compression >100 bps.
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Recent Momentum
Call it sizzle, then drizzle. Shares are +~47% over 12 months but -~7% YTD, and they’ve pulled back meaningfully from the 2024/25 peaks.
Under the hood, though, the engine still hums: Chili’s notched 17 straight positive comp quarters, average unit volumes climbed to ~$4.5M (from ~$3.1M in FY22), and restaurant operating margin expanded from ~11.9% to ~17.6% over that span.
The last print beat the Street on both revenue (~$1.46B) and EPS ($2.49), reinforcing that this isn’t a one-quarter wonder.
Yes, a few insiders sold shares after the run—never a confetti cannon—but fundamentals, not filings, drive multi-quarter moves.
Meanwhile, Street views are mixed (consensus “Hold,” average PT near $170), which is exactly the sentiment setup you want if execution keeps outpacing expectations.
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The Setup You’re Actually Betting On
You’re not betting on a consumer supercycle; you’re betting on a better-run casual diner that’s already fixed big pieces of its P&L:
Traffic > checks: Management literally called traffic the obsession metric. If footfall grows modestly and checks don’t have to work as hard, you get durable comps without promo indigestion.
Margins with legs: Tighter menus and more labor where it counts reduce waste and improve throughput, an underappreciated compounding margin story.
Digital tailwinds: Loyalty and better ops mean more predictable demand cadence and smarter promo targeting (less race-to-the-bottom discounting).
Playbook discipline: Simplify, staff, execute, repeat. It’s not sexy; it’s effective.
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*Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk. This material does not constitute investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice. Zacks Investment Research is not a licensed dealer, broker, or investment adviser.
Valuation Check
At ~15.5x trailing P/E (and a PEG quoted sub-1), you’re not paying a nosebleed multiple for a chain that just posted +21% YoY revenue and guides to FY26 EPS of ~$9.90–$10.50.
On those numbers, the implied forward P/E sits roughly in the 12–13x zip code, below many discretionary/restaurant comps when adjusting for growth and margin quality.
Debt is there (debt/equity ~1.15), but restaurants are cash machines when traffic/margins cooperate, and EAT’s cash conversion has improved with the new ops cadence.
The current ratio (~0.3) is typical for the space, watch lease/interest coverage and capex discipline, but nothing screams red flag if comps stay green.
Is the stock cheap? Not on a trough multiple, but relative to its own improved fundamentals, it’s reasonable, especially after a 6–7% YTD fade and a sharper multi-week pullback.
Catalysts to Watch
Next print: Comps trajectory at Chili’s; any commentary on comping the comp.
Margin mix: Restaurant operating margin trend; menu mix pricing vs. promo cadence.
Traffic & loyalty: Monthly cadence from digital channels; evidence traffic > price in driving comps.
Cost basket: Beef/chicken/produce and wage inflation; can they still offset with efficiency?
Unit economics: AUV and cash-on-cash returns for remodels/new builds; any Maggiano’s updates.
Risks (Let’s Not Sugarcoat the Salsa)
Consumer wobble: If wallets tighten, casual dining is early to feel it; promos creep in, margins creep out.
Labor & food inflation: Another cost spike could pinch that hard-won 500–600 bps of margin improvement.
Promo wars: If competitors swing big discounts, EAT may defend traffic at the expense of margin.
Balance sheet flex: Leverage is manageable now, but a capex/lease misstep would reduce room to maneuver.
Category fatigue: Casual is better, not bulletproof. One bad menu cycle can ding traffic for a quarter or two.
Key Actions
Build a position on weakness: Start $124–$132; don’t chase green opens after upgrades.
Earn the add: Only add > $135–$138 after a clean quarter (comps ≥ 0%, stable/expanding restaurant margin).
Use $144 as a waypoint: If we get there fast, trim a little; if we grind there on improving fundamentals, hold for $160–$175.
Red flags to act on: Two quarters of negative comps, >100 bps sequential margin compression, or inventory/discounting that signals traffic desperation—cut back and wait for the next setup.
Position sizing: Keep it 2–3% of equities; pair with staples/defensives to balance discretionary risk.
Final Take
This isn’t a “new concept changing the world.”
It’s a mature operator that re-wrote its playbook and is now harvesting the benefits: cleaner menus, happier crews, faster kitchens, stickier guests, fatter margins.
The stock, meanwhile, has cooled off enough to make the risk/reward appetizing again.
If you want exposure to U.S. consumer dining without betting on a miracle turnaround, this is your pragmatic plate: buy the dip, add on proof, and let execution—not headlines—do the heavy lifting.
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. If you have any feedback, please reply to this email.
Best Regards,
— Adam Garcia
Elite Trade Club
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