Chili’s same-store sales for the fourth quarter ended June 30th topped the pre-pandemic benchmark of two years earlier by 8.5%, buoyed by the chain’s It’s Just Wings virtual brand, parent company Brinker International revealed Wednesday morning.
But same-restaurant sales for sister concept Maggiano’s Little Italy were more sluggish, leaping 147.9% above last year’s pandemic-depressed level but still falling 17.5% short of the 2019 watermark.
Overall, Brinker reported a net income for the quarter of $75 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of $49.2 million. Revenues soared by 79.2%, to $990.9 million.
The company updated its guidance for fiscal 2022, with management projecting mid-single-digit increases in labor and food costs.
Brinker finished Q4 with 1,648 company-run or franchised restaurants.