Brinker International (EAT) is a global restaurant company that owns, operates, develops, and franchises casual dining brands. The company specializes in providing full-service dining experiences through its two main restaurant chains, Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy. With a presence in the United States and 27 other countries, Brinker International serves a variety of cuisines, including American and Italian-American dishes, through both company-owned and franchised locations.
- Chili’s Grill & Bar - Operates as a casual dining restaurant chain offering a variety of American cuisine, including burgers, ribs, fajitas, and other Tex-Mex-inspired dishes. Includes both company-owned and franchised locations across domestic and international markets.
- Maggiano’s Little Italy - Provides a full-service Italian-American dining experience, featuring classic Italian dishes, banquet services, and catering options. Operates primarily through company-owned restaurants in the United States.
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| Name | Position | External Roles | Short Bio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aaron M. White Executive | Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer | None | Aaron M. White has been with Brinker International since August 1996 and focuses on talent and organizational strategies. | |
Christopher M. Caldwell Executive | Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer | None | Christopher M. Caldwell joined Brinker International in February 2024 and has 28 years of experience in restaurant industry technology leadership. | |
Daniel S. Fuller Executive | Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary | Board Member at Restaurant Law Center | Daniel S. Fuller joined Brinker International in July 2014 and became Chief Legal Officer in April 2024. He has a background in legal affairs and corporate governance. | |
Dominique J. Bertolone Executive | Senior Vice President and President of Maggiano’s Little Italy | None | Dominique J. Bertolone joined Brinker International in December 2023 and focuses on accelerating growth across Maggiano’s three channels: dine-in, off-premise, and banquets. | |
Douglas N. Comings Executive | Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Chili’s Grill & Bar | None | Douglas N. Comings has been with Brinker International since October 1994 and has over 30 years of experience in restaurant operations and franchise management. | |
George S. Felix Executive | Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer | None | George S. Felix joined Brinker International in July 2022 and oversees global brand vision, strategy, and marketing operations. | |
James M. Butler Executive | Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer | None | James M. Butler joined Brinker International in January 2023 and has a background in supply chain management and distribution networks. | |
Kevin D. Hochman Executive | President and CEO of Brinker International, Inc. | None | Kevin D. Hochman is the President and CEO of Brinker International, Inc. and President of Chili’s Grill & Bar. He joined in June 2022 and has extensive experience in leading and growing brands in the retail and restaurant sectors. | View Report → |
Michaela M. Ware Executive | Executive Vice President and CFO | None | Michaela M. Ware joined Brinker International in October 2017 and became CFO in June 2024. She has expertise in financial management and investor relations. | |
Cynthia L. Davis Board | Director | Board Member at Deckers Outdoor Corporation and Kennametal, Inc.; Board of Trustees at Furman University | Cynthia L. Davis has been a Director since 2019 and brings experience in corporate strategy, sales, marketing, and operations. | |
Frances L. Allen Board | Director | Advisory Board Member at No Kid Hungry | Frances L. Allen has been a Director since 2020 and has extensive experience in the restaurant industry, including roles as CEO of Checkers Drive-In Restaurants and Boston Market Corp. | |
Frank D. Liberio Board | Director | None | Frank D. Liberio joined the Board of Directors in July 2024 and has extensive experience in global business information technology and digital transformation. | |
Harriet Edelman Board | Director | Vice Chairman of Emigrant Bank; Board Member at Assurant, Inc. | Harriet Edelman has been a Director since 2008 and has over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, IT, risk management, and global business operations. | |
James C. Katzman Board | Director | Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at GE Aerospace; Board Member at Hershey Trust Company, Milton Hershey School, and Boys & Girls Clubs of The Valley (AZ) | James C. Katzman has been a Director since 2018 and has extensive experience in investment banking, corporate financial matters, and risk management oversight. | |
Joseph M. DePinto Board | Chairman of the Board | President and CEO of 7-Eleven, Inc.; Board Member at 7-Eleven, Inc. and 7 & i Holdings Co., Ltd.; Board Member at DHC Acquisition Corp.; Member of Kellogg School of Management Global Advisory Board and Dallas Stars Ownership Advisory Group | Joseph M. DePinto has been Chairman since November 2013 and is also the President and CEO of 7-Eleven, Inc. He has extensive experience in operations, marketing, finance, and strategic planning. | |
Prashant N. Ranade Board | Director | Co-Founder of IndusSME LLC; Member of National Association of Corporate Directors | Prashant N. Ranade has been a Director since 2019 and has experience in automation, technology, healthcare, and supply chain/logistics domains. | |
Ramona T. Hood Board | Director | Board Member at Summa Health Systems | Ramona T. Hood has been a Director since 2022 and has experience in operations, safety, supply chain sourcing, sales, marketing, and strategy. | |
William T. Giles Board | Director | Board Member at Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., Constellation Brands, Inc., and Autism Speaks; Member of Alfred University Board of Trustees | William T. Giles has been a Director since 2013 and has over 30 years of financial proficiency and business leadership in the retail products industry. |
- Given the substantial same-store sales increase of 31.4% for Chili's in Q2, driven by positive traffic and mix, how do you plan to sustain this growth, and what specific factors might challenge your ability to maintain these elevated comps in the upcoming quarters?
- With capital expenditures projected between $240 million and $260 million, including plans for reimaging and potentially rebuilding certain Chili's locations, how do you justify these investments amid potential operational disruptions, and what returns are you expecting from these initiatives in the current economic climate?
- Traffic at Maggiano’s decreased by 4.9% despite positive sales growth in the quarter; what specific strategies are you implementing to address the declining traffic, and how confident are you that these measures will effectively turn around Maggiano’s performance in the near term?
- As average unit volumes surpass $4 million, what sustainable store-level margins do you anticipate achieving at Chili's, and what operational challenges do you foresee in maintaining or improving margins as volumes continue to grow?
- Regarding your digital initiatives and efforts to deepen consumer insights, what major additional investments are required, and how will these investments directly contribute to enhancing the guest experience and driving incremental sales, especially considering the current challenges with your loyalty program?
Research analysts who have asked questions during Brinker International Inc earnings calls.
Brian Vaccaro
Raymond James
4 questions for EAT
David Palmer
Evercore ISI
4 questions for EAT
Dennis Geiger
UBS Group AG
4 questions for EAT
Andrew Strelzik
BMO Capital Markets
3 questions for EAT
Christopher O'Cull
Stifel Financial Corp.
3 questions for EAT
Eric Gonzalez
KeyBanc Capital Markets
3 questions for EAT
James Sanderson
Northcoast Research
3 questions for EAT
Jeffrey Bernstein
Barclays
3 questions for EAT
Jeffrey Farmer
Gordon Haskett
3 questions for EAT
Jon Tower
Citigroup
3 questions for EAT
Alexander Slagle
Jefferies
2 questions for EAT
Brian Harbour
Morgan Stanley
2 questions for EAT
Hyun Jin Cho
Goldman Sachs
2 questions for EAT
John Ivankoe
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2 questions for EAT
Katherine Griffin
Bank of America
2 questions for EAT
Brian Mullan
Piper Sandler
1 question for EAT
Chris O'cull
Stifel Financial Corp.
1 question for EAT
Christine Cho
Goldman Sachs
1 question for EAT
Isaiah Austin
Bank of America
1 question for EAT
Jeff Farmer
Gordon Haskett Research Advisors
1 question for EAT
Pratik Patel
Barclays
1 question for EAT
Rahul Krotthapalli
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
1 question for EAT
Notable M&A activity and strategic investments in the past 3 years.
| Company | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
Chili's Restaurants – Northwest Region (8 units) | 2022 | The acquisition involved 8 previously franchised restaurants for a total purchase price of $2.0 million, funded with borrowings from the existing credit facility. It was accounted for as a business combination with assets recorded at fair values and resulted in net acquisition-related charges of $1.6 million, having an immaterial impact on consolidated financial statements. |
Chili's Restaurants – Multi-Region (66 units) | 2021–2022 | This acquisition involved 66 previously franchised restaurants acquired from three former franchisees across regions: 23 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic for $47.7 million, 37 in the Great Lakes for $57.1 million, and the 8-unit Northwest acquisition; the deals were primarily funded through credit facility borrowings and a sale leaseback transaction, with assets recorded at fair values. |
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for EAT.
- Brinker International (EAT) reported strong financial performance for Q4 2025 and fiscal year 2025, with total revenue growth of 21.9% to over $5 billion and adjusted EPS growth of 117.1% for FY 2025. Chili's achieved +24% same-store sales in Q4 2025 and +40% for FY 2025, with restaurant operating margins expanding to 17.6%.
- The company provided fiscal year 2026 guidance, expecting annual revenues between $5.6 billion and $5.7 billion and adjusted diluted EPS in the range of $9.9 to $10.5. Chili's is anticipated to maintain positive same-store sales growth in all four quarters of FY 2026.
- Strategic initiatives include continued menu simplification, significant investments in labor and restaurant maintenance, increased marketing spend, and the relaunch of key menu items like Ribs and Frozen Margs. The company plans to ramp up remodels and restart new restaurant development, with capital expenditures projected at $270 million to $290 million for FY 2026.
- Brinker International has significantly strengthened its balance sheet by paying down over $570 million in debt over the past three years, achieving a lease adjusted leverage ratio of 1.7 times. The Board authorized an additional $400 million for share repurchases, bringing the total available to $507 million.
- Maggiano's reported a -0.4% comp sales for Q4 2025, and a leadership change was announced with CEO Kevin Hochman overseeing the brand as interim president.
- Effective May 1, 2025, Brinker International executed a Fourth Amendment to its Credit Agreement, which updates and replaces the existing revolving credit commitments.
- The amendment increases the credit facility from $900 million to $1,000 million, reprices loans at Term SOFR + 1.25% to 2.00%, and extends the maturity date to May 1, 2030.
- Q3 F25 performance: Revenues reached $1.425B (in line with $1,413.0M ), operating income was $156.9M , with Chili’s delivering 31.6% same-store sales growth and overall comparable restaurant sales up 28.2% .
- Company sales numbers reported $988M for Chili’s and $121M for Maggiano’s, with Maggiano’s same-store sales at 0.4% .
- Operational efficiency improved with food cost at 25.0%, labor cost at 32.0%, and restaurant expenses reduced to 24.1% in Q3 F25 .
- Updated Fiscal 2025 guidance: Annual revenues are expected between $5.33B-$5.35B and adjusted diluted EPS of $8.50-$8.75 , with capital expenditures forecast between $265M-$275M .
- Strategic initiatives include repaying $125M in debt, lowering leverage to 1.9x , alongside planned product launches like the Big QP .