Chili’s and Applebee’s are battling it out over their value meals

New York
CNN
—

Both of the largest restaurant chains include beef cooking in their respective meal offerings.

On one corner is Applebee’s, which recently launched a $9.99 “Really Big Meal Deal,” and on the other side is Chili’s, home of the $10.99 promotion. it has proven to be a great success. Both chains have added more value offerings to their menus in recent months as consumers cut back on dining out amid inflationary pressure on their wallets.

The fight between the two is getting X’s attention, where Applebee’s is implicitly that his offer is better than Chili’s offer because it is $1 cheaper. The Applebee’s deal also includes a fried chicken sandwich or bacon cheeseburger, fries and a soda.

Although not labeled or directly named Chili’s, that he noticed and applaudedResponding with “@ us next time,” pointing out that his own offer comes with unlimited chips and salsa. The message is “you can literally never.”

Accounts on X mostly came out in favor of Chili’s, which has a bigger following and a more honest presence, with one user posting “$1 more to make Applebees not worth it.” Meanwhile, Chili’s denied the two channels were fighting, saying they were “just chatting.”

Applebee’s X account did not respond to Chili’s (and its corporate parent did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment).

In a statement to CNN, Chili’s Chief Marketing Officer George Felix said, “It’s no secret that we like to have a little fun on our social media, and we’re really passionate about making sure our guests get the best value in casual dining.”

Chiles and applebee’s They’ve long been rivals, with their restaurants dotting large swathes of suburban America and often battling each other with special meals and offers. But in recent years, Chili’s has flourished while Applebee’s has struggled.

Chili’s has added several meal deals, including a $10.99 “3 for Me” deal, and expanded. including a McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger This was aimed at driving fast food prices out of control, frustrating people.

Additionally, the Triple Dipper appetizer has gained attention on TikTok and accounts for 11% of Chili’s business. That gave the chain a 14% increase in same-store sales in its most recent quarter, and shares of its parent company, Brinker (JAN), its shares have risen more than 200% in the year.

Applebee’s has been a different story. The chain generated slightly more annual revenue than Chili’s despite having more locations, according to the report Technical data.

Applebee’s same-store sales fell about 6% in its most recent quarter, marking its sixth straight quarter of decline. Dine Mark shares (FROM THERE), which owns the chain in addition to IHOP, are down 35% year over year.

Certain promotions, like $1 margaritas and $0.50 wings, stopped working, and the company said customers wanted to know the full cost of a meal. In response, Applebee’s finally launched a limited-time $9.99 deal in November.

The company is shifting its menu toward “more complete meal value offerings” and “will continue to evolve our value proposition to keep our guests engaged,” John Peyton, CEO of Dine Brands, said on last month’s earnings call.

The new deal seems to be working for Applebee’s. Foot traffic rose 2% in November after falling 9% in October, according to data from analytics firm Placer.ai. Meanwhile, Chili’s foot traffic increased by 33%, capping six consecutive months of increases.