The Only State In The US Without A Chili's

With over 1,200 locations across the United States, plenty of people are able to get lost in the sauce that's slathered all over Chili's iconic Baby Back Ribs. However, any curious Oregonians will either have to learn the secret to copying Chili's Baby Back Ribs at home, or travel to a neighboring state to learn what all the hype is about. It's true, while Oregon has an abundance of remarkable restaurants, there's a heart-rending lack of even one Chili's location.

Life wasn't always so unfair for Oregonians, the state was once home to several Chili's locations. While several locations closed in 2008, the final Chili's locations in Clackamas and Eugene, Oregon, didn't close their doors until 2015 — thus ending the restaurant chain's presence in the Beaver State. Any new locations have yet to pop up in Oregon, though it's not for lack of trying. Locals miss the franchise so much that at one point, a Change.org petition was started to urge the resurrection of the franchise in Oregon.

Chili's parent company, Brinker International, reported a 31.4% increase in same-store sales in 2024 Q2. So despite closing restaurants in Oregon, Chili's is thriving. Brinker International CEO, Kevin Hochman, attributes the rise, fall, and resurrection of Chili's to changes like simplifying the menu by eliminating items to cut costs. Brinker International also invested in its restaurants by spending $200 million dollars on updates, repairs, staffing, and overall restaurant quality. These updates are clearly working as Chili's is winning over customers from fast food and other chain restaurants in a time when hungry consumers have seemingly unlimited options.

Traffic in Chili's locations has been on a steady rise with a 5.9% increase in Q4 of 2024 compared to Q4 2023. Social media has also had an impact on Chili's success with appetizers like the Triple Dipper going viral and creating immense hype. While the recent success of Chili's might make Oregonians optimistic, there's no telling whether Oregon will see another Chili's in the future, but after investing time and money perfecting already established locations, any future restaurants are likely to embody the new and improved vibes Chili's is dishing out.