NEW YORK聽鈥 Chili鈥檚 is ratcheting up its fight with a new cheeseburger that might make McDonald鈥檚 call their lawyers.
The chain is rolling out Tuesday the Big QP burger, which not only has a similar name to McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounder but also the same toppings: two slices of American cheese, pickles, ketchup and diced onions. Chili鈥檚 says in a press release that its version has 85% more beef, making it 鈥渆ven more value-packed鈥 than the fast food classic.
The Big QP is being added to Chili鈥檚 popular 鈥3 for Me,鈥 a $10.99 meal that includes the burger, fries, unlimited chips and free refills of a soft drink. The deal exploded in popularity last year when Chili鈥檚 took aim at customers of its fast food rivals (notably McDonald鈥檚) who might be turned off by their .
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Chili's is rolling out a new cheeseburger that resembles a McDonald's Quarter Pounder.
And while the meal might be more expensive than a McDonald鈥檚 Quarter Pounder, which costs around $5 to $7 depending on the city, it鈥檚 comparable in price to a combo meal with medium fries and medium-sized soft drink.
Chili鈥檚 directly jabbed McDonald鈥檚 in its press release, calling the $10.99 deal 鈥渓ess expensive than a comparable meal at McDonald鈥檚鈥 as well as releasing TV ads that call the Quarter Pounder 鈥渢iny.鈥
The Big QP is the second McDonald鈥檚-inspired burger from Chili鈥檚. Last year, the chain added a Big Mac-like burger called the Big Smasher, rolling out a that directly called out the Big Mac. Ultimately, that proved a successful gambit, with the Big Smasher helping Chili鈥檚 register a 15% jump in same-store sales following its release.
Chili鈥檚 is likely hoping to sustain its skyrocketing sales by continuing this rivalry. Sales in its most recent quarter jumped 31%, marking the chain鈥檚 third-straight quarter of double-digit growth. Shares of Brinker International (), its parent company, have soared 200% over the past year.
Once trailing flashier rivals, Chili鈥檚 is thanks to these deals, plus revamped chicken tender recipes and viral TikToks of its 鈥淭riple Dipper鈥 appetizer. The chain also recently opened a location in Scranton, Pennsylvania
This success stands in contrast to most casual dining chains. Typically catering to lower and middle-income families looking for a sit-down meal, diners have been abandoning these companies in recent years. have been hiking menu prices at the same time their customer base is being squeezed by the rising cost of living, resulting in several bankruptcies, including Hooters, TGI Fridays and Buca di Beppo.
Although McDonald鈥檚 hasn鈥檛 directly responded to Chili鈥檚, the chain recently added a in hopes of turning around its sluggish sales. In addition to the , the menu also has a 鈥淏uy One, Add One for $1鈥 option and more locally targeted promotions from its franchises.
