High tide lifts all boats, Chili’s main driving force of revenue for Brinker (NYSE: EAT) as earnings beat

Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) shares jumped 7.4% on Wednesday after the restaurant operator reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings that exceeded analyst expectations, driven by strong performance at its Chili’s brand.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $2.87 per share for the quarter ended December 24, 2025, beating the analyst estimate of $2.57 by 30 cents.

Revenue rose to $1.45 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion and increasing 6.9% from $1.36 billion in the same quarter last year.

Chili’s was the star performer with comparable restaurant sales increasing 8.6%, marking its 19th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth. The brand’s strong performance was attributed to growth in its customer base, menu innovations, and disciplined execution.

“Chili’s delivered another strong quarter with industry-leading growth of +9%, rolling the industry-leading growth from last year for a 2-year comp sales growth of +43%,” said Kevin Hochman, President & CEO of Brinker International.

“With 19 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, Chili’s turnaround, led by guest experience improvements, is sustaining over the long-term.”

Maggiano’s, the company’s Italian restaurant chain, saw comparable sales decline 2.4% due to lower traffic, partially offset by menu pricing.