Chili’s is betting that what’s old is new again.
The casual dining chain is rolling out a nostalgic restaurant redesign across the country, bringing back signature red booths, quirky artwork and other throwback touches that helped define the brand for decades.
The makeover is expected to reach every U.S. Chili’s restaurant over time. The company plans to remodel about 10% of its roughly 1,200 domestic locations each year until all restaurants have been refreshed, a Chili’s representative told Fox News Digital.
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The redesign comes after the chain spent the past several years investing in food quality and service. Now, the focus has shifted to the dining experience itself.
“The guiding idea behind the project was simple: ‘Make Chili’s More Chili’s,'” according to a company fact sheet.
The updated design draws inspiration from the brand’s original Greenville Avenue restaurant in Dallas, as well as the colorful look that became synonymous with Chili’s during the 1990s.
Before launching the redesign nationwide, Chili’s tested several versions at four Dallas-area restaurants.
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Those locations were selected because of their proximity to Chili’s restaurant support center, allowing team members to visit frequently and gather real-time customer feedback. Lessons from those prototype restaurants helped shape the final design package now being introduced across the country, a company representative said.
The first remodeled restaurants outside the test market reopened July 1 in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Monrovia, California; Kennesaw, Georgia; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Greensboro, North Carolina; Cookeville, Tennessee; and El Paso, Texas, according to Chili’s.
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Among the most noticeable changes are the return of the chain’s iconic red booths, tile-inspired tabletops influenced by Southwestern ceramics and refreshed bars accented with neon signage.
Guests will also discover playful references to Chili’s history throughout the restaurants, including framed sheet music from the brand’s famous baby back ribs jingle, the original 1975 menu and custom wallpaper featuring whimsical scenes such as chili peppers being abducted by a tortilla chip UFO and a margarita swimming pool.
The updated bar areas include larger horseshoe-shaped layouts, additional televisions and oversized “Margarita Bar” signs celebrating one of the chain’s signature drinks.
Chili’s said it sold nearly 30 million margaritas in 2025, more than any other restaurant brand in the country.
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As Chili’s begins refreshing restaurants nationwide, it joins another chain looking backward to move forward.
Pizza Hut franchisees have found success by bringing back iconic design elements like red roofs, vinyl booths, red cups and Tiffany-style lighting, suggesting that nostalgia has become part of the menu for many diners.
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