Chili's Big Smasher Burger Is Causing Sales to Skyrocket

At a time when many major chain restaurants are losing customers, closing locations, and even resorting to bankruptcy filings, Chili's is outperforming many of its rivals with strong sales and guest traffic. According to the company, a recently launched burger is a big reason behind its recent success.

This past April, the Tex-Mex chain expanded its menu with a hefty fast-food-inspired burger: the Big Smasher (950 calories). Touted as having "twice the beef" of a McDonald's Big Mac, the burger features diced red onions, lettuce, pickles, Thousand Island dressing, American cheese, and a nearly half-pound, hand-smashed burger patty.

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chili's big smasher burger and fries — Chili's Grill & Bar

Chili's has been offering the burger on its 3 For Me value menu, which allows customers to enjoy a bottomless non-alcoholic beverage, bottomless chips and salsa (910 calories), and a main course for a starting price of just $10.99. The chain has also been advertising the Big Smasher 3 For Me deal as a better value than comparable burger combos at fast-food eateries. For context, a Big Mac meal is currently selling for $11.79 at my local McDonald's in central New Jersey, but prices could vary at other locations.

In an earnings call with investors on Aug. 14, Chili's parent company, Brinker International, revealed that the Big Smasher has already become a smash hit with customers. CEO Kevin Hochman said the new burger helped drive a 14.8% increase in same-store sales at Chili's and a 5.9% boost in customer traffic during the latest quarter.

These traffic gains are especially notable given that many of the guests were first-time Chili's customers, according to Hochman. Moving forward, "we'll continue to drive the Big Smasher, as it's been successful in driving traffic and tapping into the cultural conversation about fast food prices," he added.

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The Big Smasher isn't the only exciting new food item to launch at Chili's lately. The chain also recently introduced a new Nashville Hot Mozz appetizer, featuring its classic Fried Mozzarella (920 calories per small order) bathed in Nashville Hot Sauce. This is technically a secret menu item, though, so interested customers will need to ask for it by name.

The chain also introduced a new Crispy Chicken Sandwich (1,020 calories) alongside the Big Smasher in April. It features hand-breaded crispy chicken, mayo, and pickles on a brioche bun.

Nutrition information has been included when available.