It’s crazy how cyclical things are. The other day I was driving in my neighborhood, and passed by a Chili’s… it was packed to the brim. The parking lot full. Just a decade ago, that place would have been empty.

In the 90s, Chili’s was a hot spot. Cheap deals, great drinks, inviting atmosphere… casual dining was at its pinnacle. And today it’s making a serious comeback thanks to viral appetizer items that grace my TikTok feed on the reg (s/o Triple Dipper).

When you look at the history of Chili’s, it’s made a significant mark on pop culture. I mean the “Baby Back Ribs” jingle had all of us in a chokehold. And it’s easily the most recognizable jingle in advertising history.

The story is even wilder on how Chili’s pioneered fast-casual dining in America to become a global phenomenon—all from a single burger joint in Dallas, Texas in 1975.

Chili in the blood

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Larry Lavine is the mastermind behind the first Chili’s in Dallas. But it wasn’t his first rodeo. His career started by running a fun little music venue called Studio Club. It had acts like ZZ Top and Chuck Berry. Because of this immediate success, he started to push the boundaries a bit. He opened Kitty Hawk, a restaurant that featured char-broiled shrimp and a full replica of the Wright brother's original plane.

Going back to Lavine’s childhood, he grew up in Dallas eating chili cheeseburgers at Goff’s Hamburgers (which still stands today). And because of that, those memories were glued to him. But chili wasn’t just in his blood, it was in his father-in-law too.

His father-in-law was Carroll Shelby. We’re talking about the American racer and automotive designer Shelby. The one that helped Ford create the Cobra and Mustang. Shelby loved chili so damn much, that he created the world’s first Championship Chili Cook-off in 1967. And that cook-off is still held today. Lavine was heavily involved (he was a judge at many of them).

"In Texas, there's two things people will talk about if they eat — barbecue and chili."

Lavine’s goal with the first location was to make it “very funky, warm, very casual atmosphere.” So he tapped local interior designer Trisha Wilson (who worked with him on Kitty Hawk).  She was a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, so the first Chili’s took a lot of inspiration from the school. Burnt orange and a soft green interior. Booths made of old shipping crates, Majolica tiled tables, pictures and posters of chili cookoffs… and a free jukebox to give the restaurant some liveliness. This was a complete deviation from the norm. Most places we’re cold and diner-like. Chili’s was inviting and meant to be a place for gathering.

"At the time, we were kind of on the edge of where the active restaurant patrons attended. It had 25,000 cars a day. And I felt like that was enough. And turned out it was enough."

What’s funny is that chili isn’t even on the menu anymore. But when it first opened, it was a hot item. At one point they were making 40 gallons of Texas red chili a day. The chili wasn’t just eaten by itself. It went on everything… hot dogs, hamburgers, and even tacos.

It exploded after opening. Lines to get in around the block (they didn’t take reservations). It got so popular that they had to build a bar inside the restaurant as soon as they opened because there were so many people waiting.

It's Fajita time

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There are a few early moments that can be attributed to the explosion of Chili’s. The first is the Fajitas and the second is the signature Margarita.

When it comes to Tex-Mex, Fajitas has always been a staple. But it was never commercialized.

It started popping up in 1971, when Juan Antonio “Sonny” Falcón and “Mama” Ninfa Laurenzo were serving a version of it in Houston. Lavine took frequent trips, eating at Laurenzo’s and Falcón’s restaurant every chance he could get. But he had no interest in adding it to the menu.

Once Lavine sold the restaurant, in 1984 they added it to the menu coupled with their first-ever TV promotion. Fajitas were so uncommon, that Chili’s made a small menu card that gave directions on how to eat them.

Then there was the Margarita.

In Texas, liquor laws were extremely strict. If you wanted to drink, you’d have to have a member card. And each restaurant had its own. So if you frequented restaurants, your wallet was packed with these cards. But that changed in 1971 and Lavine made a brilliant move.

"So we want to sell you a hamburger and a drink, and we thought nobody's gonna buy a scotch and water for the hamburger. The only chance in Texas was a margarita. So that's why we picked margaritas."

They served frozen and “El Presidente” Margaritas and it’s been a Chili’s staple ever since.

Original Chili’s goers raving about the place:

“We lived in Dallas in 1987-88 and would regularly eat there. Loved it. Moved back to Illinois and Chili’s followed! Really feels like a different place these days.”

“The original decor was pictures, photos of Carrol Shelby's (yes the racing legend car guy!) Chili Cook-off in Terlingua, Texas! Sad sad. It should really be back on the menu with a rad recipe from a chili master.”

In 1983, Norman E. Brinker acquired the Chili’s brand. Brinker had some success already, building Steak & Ale to a massive cult following in the 70s and 80s. He made an incredible business move by introducing franchising to spur Chili’s growth. And it lit on fire. It started to expand at a rapid pace across the country.

Because of the different diets of Americans, he couldn’t keep the menu simple with just burgers and Margaritas. They needed to broaden the appeal. Which is where the sizzling fajitas and baby back ribs started to make an appearance across the chain. What this did was help it define its place in American dining culture. It was genius marketing because people could hear, smell, and see the sizzling Fajitas coming out of the kitchen. Because of that, word of mouth took hold and Chili’s growth was moving at the speed of light.

"I want my Baby Back Baby Back..."

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You could argue that the “Baby Back Ribs” jingle is the OG of all viral moments. I mean this jingle is of the stuff they teach in marketing and advertising classes.

But it almost didn’t happen. That’s because the creative director and copywriter Guy Bommarito didn’t want to do it.

It was at the high time of jingles. They were starting to get annoying, and he was convinced this would flop and last only a few weeks.

"We did it because the client insisted on it. We never would have done it otherwise. I was so embarrassed to take the assignment back to my creative department that I just wrote it myself."

But it became a cultural phenomenon. It got featured in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, in a very famous The Office spot where Michael makes a deal for Dunder Mifflin at a Chili’s, and even showed up in other sitcoms like Scrubs. That’s when it became more than just a commercial.

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It’s also memorable and catchy. AllRecipes did a survey, and it ranks incredibly high as one of the songs that stuck in people’s heads the most.

On top of that, during NYSYNC's superstardom, they recorded their version which continued to make it relevant across a ton of different demographics (and periods).

But then it went on hiatus for about 20 years. Folks still clamored for Chili’s to bring back the anthem at some point. And last year they did just that.

What’s funny, is that Boyz II Men is often mistaken for singing the NSYNC version. And what’s even crazier is that Boyz II Men’s current manager was the manager of NSYNC at the time that their version came out.

And last year Chili’s launched a campaign with Boyz II Men to record their version of the song. And it went viral on TikTok just showing how the jingle still stands. Guy Bommarito’s ears must be ringing.

Parlour's Perspective

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Chili’s has been a staple of American dining culture since the early 70s. And since we typically cover American pop culture moments, it’s a quintessential example of Americana at its best.

Chili’s also takes on themes of every major pop culture moment. The meteoric rise, challenges, and humble beginnings… all fitting into this overall narrative of a cultural revolution. It’s one of those rare brands that has stood the test of time across eras and generations. And we’re glad we were able to retell the story. Just like that first Chili’s, we do this to celebrate how pop culture can bring people together even if it’s for some ribs. See you at happy hour?