Brinker opens It’s Just Wings, Chili’s urban kitchen

Brinker International has opened a New York City-based urban kitchen focused exclusively on delivery for brands Chili’s Grill and Bar and It’s Just Wings.

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(Brinker International)
(Brinker International)

Brinker International has opened a New York City-based urban kitchen focused exclusively on delivery for brands Chili’s Grill and Bar and It’s Just Wings, the company announced.

An additional two locations are planned near college campuses in Dallas and Columbus, Ohio.

“I never thought I'd see the day when I'd see Chili's in Manhattan, but it's been up and running for a month,” Wyman Roberts, Brinker CEO and president, said on a second-quarter earnings call. 

“We plan to open two small footprint locations and trade areas adjacent to college campuses in the near future. And virtual brands continue to be an important growth vehicle for us. We remain fully committed to this strategy.”

The New York City location operates out of a third-party kitchen location. Virtual brands allow Brinker International to leverage smaller spaces in urban areas and take advantage of the growth of off-premises dining during COVID-19.

“That's one of the COVID takeaways is that off-premises is a bigger component of what we will do going forward,” Joseph Taylor, Brinker’s chief financial officer, added, noting that “we want to make sure we're taking full advantage of that consumer shift.”

Virtual brands take off

It’s Just Wings launched in June 2020 and saw sales soar almost immediately, generating $3 million in weekly sales and surpassing its target of $150 million in annualized sales in its first year. In addition, in its first month, sales showed that 70% of orders came from DoorDash customers who had never placed an order from Chili’s.

Menu items from the virtual brand are prepared in the kitchens of 1,000 company-operated Chili’s and Maggiano’s but can only be ordered through DoorDash and other third-party delivery apps. 

It’s Just Wings sells boneless and smoked and traditional bone-in wings smothered in a choice of 11 sauces, such as truffle hot sauce and ponzo sauce. Every order also includes free curly fries.

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