How Chili’s® Grill & Bar has made its mark in Alberta, and where it’s going next
By Kym Wolfe
Chili’s® Grill & Bar is an iconic brand across the U.S. and in Alberta, and if Troy Duzsik’s predictions are correct, in the coming years it will be just as well known in Ontario and other parts of Canada. Duzsik is the director of operations for Chili’s® Canada and runs five corporate locations in Alberta.
In 1991, Duzsik was working for a restaurant ownership group that opened the five Alberta restaurants, which at that time were the first Canadian Chili’s® franchises. “Our restaurants performed so well that in 2013, Brinker International approached us with an offer to purchase them. Given my deep passion for the brand and Brinker’s desire to retain the existing support structure, I made the decision to transition to the corporate side of the business. Since then I’ve continued to lead the brand in Canada,” says Duzsik. “With my long-standing history with Chili’s®, deep knowledge of the Canadian market, and consistent feedback from local guests, I strongly believe there is significant opportunity to grow the brand beyond Alberta. I’m now actively seeking new franchise partners to help expand Chili’s® across Canada.”
Duzsik is initially targeting Ontario, starting with communities within a three-hour radius of Toronto. Cities with OHL hockey teams seem to be a good fit, he says, as well as university and college towns. “I think Ontario is going to be a great market, and can easily grow to 25 restaurants.” He adds, “As much as we would like to move at lightning speed, it’s more important to ensure we find the right partners that are aligned with our culture and operation excellence.”
Brand evolution
Ideally, new franchise partners will commit to opening a minimum of five to ten locations depending on the territory. The synergy is so different when you have multiple locations, he says; it’s easier to train staff, there is higher visibility in the community, and efficiencies are created in the supply chain.
One of the appeals of the Chili’s® concept is its flexibility: franchisees can convert an existing restaurant space or build new; the size can range from 1,000 to 5,000 square feet to suit a specific location; the menu can be tailored to suit local tastes and preferences; and the restaurants can operate in a typical streetside location in a local high traffic neighborhood, office towers, strip malls, hotels, airports, and other sites. Just look at Chili’s® in other parts of the world, and you see how adaptable the brand can be.
“Over the years, we’ve continued to evolve the Chili’s® brand to stay ahead of consumer trends and manage cost pressures. Our refined business model offers franchisees the flexibility to adapt to specific market needs—from traditional to non-traditional restaurant formats, with full or limited menus that incorporate local and regional flavors into the Chili’s® signature flavor DNA,” says David Weston, VP of international business and global development.
The first Chili’s®, a relaxed and affordable family restaurant, opened in Dallas in 1975. Its signature margaritas and big mouth burgers were so popular that by the early 1980s there were more than 28 Chili’s® in the Dallas region. After Norman Brinker purchased the chain in 1983, the menu was expanded to include sizzling fajitas, world famous baby back ribs, quesadillas, and hand-breaded crispy chicken crispers. The first franchise partnership was established in 1984, and since then the brand has grown significantly—there are over 1,100 Chili’s® Grill & Bars across the U.S. and more than 370 in over 32 countries around the globe. But the very first international location was right here in Canada.
“Chili’s® offered an approachable, ‘come as you are’ atmosphere—something we felt was missing from the local restaurant landscape,“ Duzsik recalls. “It struck the right balance between quality food and drink offerings, great service, and a relaxed, welcoming environment. This filled a unique niche between fast casual and upscale dining, appealing to a wide range of guests looking for great value without compromising on experience.”
“One of the biggest initial challenges in launching the Chili’s® brand in the Canadian market was educating guests about our brand positioning and menu offerings,” he adds. “We needed to communicate that we were more than just another casual dining spot. We had to tell our story: that Chili’s® is known for bold, flavorful food like burgers, fajitas, [and] crispy chicken crispers as well as the world-famous margaritas. Equally important was training our team members to share that story with pride.”
Then, as now, the new franchise partners were required to take extensive initial training before they launched: two weeks of senior-level executive training for the leadership team, and for the management team, a seven-week intensive program at a Chili’s® Certified Training Restaurant. The brand invests significant time and resources to ensure franchise partners are set up for success, enabling them to open smoothly and operate efficiently from day one. For the first restaurant, a team of 15 support staff travel to the new location and spend two weeks facilitating training, onboarding team members, and assisting with the grand opening; a smaller four-person support team will stay onsite for at least one more week. By the time a franchisee opens their third or subsequent restaurants, they often opt for less corporate support during the opening weeks.
Following the opening, a dedicated team of over 20 representatives from the Restaurant Support Center across all key disciplines—including Operations, Culinary, Supply Chain, and Marketing—regularly provide guidance, ensure alignment with brand standards, and help the franchisee continue growing successfully. Just as each location is unique, so is the support that the franchisee receives, says Weston. “We provide meaningful and differentiated support that is unique and tailored to each franchisee to ensure their success.”
The brand offers expert guidance on recruiting, staffing, and succession planning, and regular conferences to educate and connect franchise owners and leadership teams. “The unwavering support available 24/7 makes you feel like you’re never on your own,” says Duzsik.
Bold flavours, bold franchisees
An ideal Chili’s® franchisee will have the hospitality gene, a passion for making people feel special, and a track record of developing a multi-unit food and beverage system, says Weston. Potential Canadian franchise owners will meet with Duzsik first, and his process always begins by sitting down and talking to them to get to know who they are as a person. What are their core values? What is their sense of community?
“The most enjoyable part of being part of the Chili’s® family is the culture—especially how the brand values and treats its people,” says Duzsik, noting that new franchisees don’t need, for example, to have extensive food and beverage experience, but can hire people who do. The top priority is that they “need to be the right person. It’s not always the person with the most money to invest.”
Those who eventually do join Chili’s® as a Canadian franchise partner will appreciate the corporate team’s “win together” mentality, says Duzsik.
As Weston notes, “Chili’s® has become one of the world’s leading casual dining brands thanks to our dedication to operational excellence, innovative and relevant food and beverage offerings, strong value proposition, and unwavering commitment to hospitality. We believe our strong return on investment, focus on guest experience, and relevant food and beverage offerings position the brand for success in the Canadian market.”
Learn more about franchising with Chili’s® Grill & Bar
