CHILI'S is a casual dining franchise beloved by millions of restaurant patrons around the world.
Rumors that Chili's would close all of its stores sent social media users into a frenzy.
Why is “all stores closed in Chile” becoming a trend?
On May 15, 2024, the phrase “Chile closes all stores” trended on social media.
This rumor started when the Taste of Country blog published a post titled “Chili's is closing its doors across America in 2024.”
Many people incorrectly interpreted this to mean Chili's would close all of its restaurants.
The rumors are not true and Chili's is not closing all of its restaurants.
The first line of the blog post reveals that the franchise permanently closed several restaurants in the first four months of 2024.
What does Chili's say about the rumored closure?
Chili's has taken to social media to deny rumors about its closure and try to calm anxious customers.
“Fast food planted this because they were afraid of our prices,” Chiles said in a reply to an X user who was upset about the rumor.
The company also published a social media response on TikTok, commenting on a video about the rumors.
A screenshot of a comment on TikTok is tweetedwith Chile's words, “It's not true, it's not true.”
Who owns Chili's?
Chili's was founded in 1975 by Larry Lavigne. This casual his diner was acquired by Norman Brinker's Brinker International in 1985.
As of 2024, the restaurant chain has more than 1500 locations in the United States and operates in more than 30 countries.