Chili’s will be among the first major casual dining chains in the U.S. to announce an official third-party delivery partner, beating out direct market rivals Olive Garden, Applebee’s, and Outback Steakhouse.
That’s according to parent company Brinker International, which on Tuesday reported positive fiscal third-quarter earnings, including a 3.3 percent rise in revenue to $839 million.
Chili’s spent much of 2018 building out its mobile and online ordering capabilities, and is now ready to capitalize on consecutive quarters of double-digit off-premise sales lifts, including 17 percent growth in takeout and delivery orders last quarter, according to Brinker CEO Wyman Roberts. More than half of Chili’s tickets currently arrive via its digital channels, the company said.