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The December Margarita of the Month is the fan favorite Santa ’ s Secret ‘ Stache , made with Lunazul tequila , blackberry syrup , strawberry puree and triple sec .
U . S . The “ Chili ’ s Baby Back Ribs ” song from commercials in the 1990s , was named the number-one song “ most likely to get stuck in your head ” by Ad Age in 2004 .
Felix joined Chili ’ s as CMO in July 2022 after holding a number of executive marketing positions at companies including Procter & Gamble , Yum ! Brands and Tinder . Chili ’ s is the first full-service restaurant brand Felix has worked on . What ’ s that been like ?
“ A lot of fun ,” he says . “ Bar and beverage are new to me , coming from QSRs [ quick service restaurants ], but there are similarities , particularly in brands I worked on such as KFC .”
Felix has two beverage managers : senior manager of beverage information and marketing Nick Foley and senior manager , brand strategy Andrea Langus . They work closely with Chili ’ s culinary team and with vendor partners on beverage development , Felix says .
The overall Chili ’ s menu changes three to four times a year , and each time it does , “ we make sure to take a look at beverage ,” Felix says . The team reviews trends , consumer insights and data from partners to ensure that it is offering the best in beverage — especially in Margaritas .
The new Chili ’ s Philly ( right ), is premium thinly sliced steak , grilled bell peppers and onions , jalapeños and white queso served on a toasted buttery roll .
MARGARITA MADNESS Among the chain ’ s top sellers is the Presidente Margarita , hand-shaken with Lunazul reposado tequila , Citrónge orange liqueur and E & J brandy , and the various Margaritas of the Month specials . A featured selection this past fall was the Maker ’ s Mark-a-Rita , with Maker ’ s Mark bourbon , Lunazul blanco tequila , triple sec and fresh sour mix .
The December Margarita of the Month has always been a top-three seller in the program each year , and for 2022 Chili ’ s is bringing back Santa ’ s Secret ‘ Stache , with Lunazul tequila , blackberry syrup , strawberry puree , and triple sec . It ’ s topped with a candy cane striped straw that has Santa ’ s mustache attached to it .
Chili ’ s also held a Nicki Minaj ( Barbz ) Day in September to celebrate the singer ’ s recent performance at the MTV Music Video Awards , after the Minaj ’ s most devoted online fans ( The Barbz ) mobilized on Twitter . The official Chili ’ s account on Aug . 22 sent out a tweet that said : “ The Barbz asked and we ’ re ~ trying ~ to deliver , if this gets 20K likes we ’ ll have Barbz day @ Chili ’ s .”
After the tweet generated more than 35,000 likes , Chili ’ s agreed to host Barbz Day on Sept . 7 . Fans that visited participating Chili ’ s could get a special Barbarita ( Cranberry Margarita ) for $ 5 .
Chili ’ s is using social media and word-of-mouth marketing to try to introduce new things to guests , Felix says . He and his team are “ really digging into the DNA and core equities of the brand ,” he says , such as fajitas , burgers , Chicken Crispers and Margaritas , and focusing on how modernize them for today .
In the process of looking at the overall strategy , Felix says , the question is , “ How to bring this amazing brand back to the forefront of consumers ’ minds ?” The unique offerings and values around Happy Hour , and the efforts to make the Chili ’ s bar a differentiated experience have been a good start .
20 • Winter 2022 www . cheersonline . com