Server impressed by customer’s ketchup portrait
When Jacqueline Mang realized that staff at a Chili’s restaurant in Manhattan Beach, California, were being criticized, she created a portrait of the server in ketchup.
Chili’s is getting into the nostalgic redesign game, with plans to renovate more than 1,200 stores over the next few years.
Evoking the aesthetic of its 1990s heyday, the new restaurant features its signature red booths, unique wall art, and Southwestern-style tiled tabletops.
Here’s what you need to know about the retro redesign planned nationwide.
“Make chili more chili-like.”
According to Fox News and CNN, Chili’s first began the redesign effort at its original store in Dallas, Texas, which opened in 1975.
Kevin Hochman, Brinker’s CEO and president of Chili, told CNN that the goal is to “make Chili more like Chili.”
That means equipping each store with Chili’s signature red booths, decorating the walls with classic memorabilia like coasters, old menus and even the sheet music for the brand’s iconic baby back rib jingle, and replacing the table tops with old Southwestern-style tiles. Meanwhile, guests will also enjoy a refreshed bar area with more televisions and eye-catching neon signage promoting Chile’s famous margaritas.
Chile’s parent company, Brinker International, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for more information about the national redesign project.
the past guides the future
In an interview with CNN, Hochman acknowledged that redesigns aren’t always successful, but said he believes tapping into customers’ nostalgia is a winning formula.
“These brands are so big,” Hochman said of recently renovated restaurants such as Denny’s, Burger King and even the controversial Cracker Barrel. “(Chili’s) has been around for 50 years, but we didn’t get there by accident. It’s because there’s something that people grew up with that made the food really special, whether it’s margaritas or fajitas or tile tables.”
Where can customers see the new redesign?
Fox News and CNN reported that in addition to the initial redesign in Dallas, four other locations in the region underwent various twists on the retro aesthetic before arriving at the final design.
The company has since committed to some of its restaurants, all of which reopened on July 1, according to Fox News. This includes the following locations:
- fayetteville, arkansas
- Monrovia, California
- Kennesaw, Georgia
- lake charles louisiana
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- greensboro, north carolina
- Cookeville, Tennessee
- El Paso, Texas
According to reports from Fox News and CNN, Chili’s plans to renovate 10% of its roughly 1,200 stores every year.
Chili’s named 2nd place casual dining chain
The ambitious restaurant redesign project comes on the heels of several successful years for Chili’s, which last year surpassed Olive Garden to become the second-largest casual dining chain in the U.S., according to information published in April 2026 by industry media Nation’s Restaurant News.
The company’s continued success is largely due to Mr. Hochman, who took over the 50-year-old company in 2022 and has worked to revamp its image, internal operations and food.
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
