Dive Brief:
- Maggiano’s is going back to all-you-can-eat portion sizing for its family-style group ordering menu as part of a brand turnaround focused on increasing portion sizes, menu continuity and a fun-friendly atmosphere, Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman said on the company’s investor day last week.
- Additionally, the chain is working to improve its speed of service by seating guests faster and reducing the complexity of its kitchen operations, Hochman said.
- The chain is still in the early stages of its turnaround, but Hochman said it is seeing improvements in internal metrics similar to what Chili’s saw during the first year of its revival.
Dive Insight:
Over the last few years, Maggiano’s has invested substantially in remodels, menu innovation and improving value perceptions.
Most of the restaurant reimaging is finished, Hochman said, giving the chain the room to turn its focus inward — toward speed of service.
“We need to seat guests faster. So the host stand is a big bottleneck right now, and turning tables is a big bottleneck,” Hochman said. “But we're also finding that some of the dishes are complex based on where the kitchen is aligned.”
Brinker is working to address these pain points and simplify its operations, in hopes of approaching the kitchen efficiency seen at Chili’s.
Despite these changes, Magginao’s same-store sales remain depressed. The chain posted -2.5% comps in fiscal Q4 2026, and -3.9% for the whole fiscal year, per Brinker’s fiscal Q4 2026 earnings release.
Brinker isn’t concerned about immediately reversing traffic losses, however, and the slow pace of Maggiano’s turnaround is not a substantial drag on Brinker’s overall performance as the Italian chain accounts for 3% of Brinker’s profits, Hochman said.
“If you think about the year one of the Chili's turnaround, everybody was really nervous about the traffic,” Hochman said. But now, several years in, Chili’s is a sales powerhouse and is poised to embark on a significant expansion project — a rare move for a legacy casual dining brand.
Maggiano’s recent moves, including operational simplification, have yielded “green shoots,” Hochman said.
“Guest metrics are improving, intent to return, you can see [it] there. Our value scores have been restored, and our [employee] turnover is starting to decrease with the simplicity that we're putting in the restaurants,” Hochman said.
He added that structural shifts in consumer behavior could work to Maggiano’s advantage, as the brand looks to draw consumers seeking third places and meaningful experiences.
“Think about the summer that movie theaters are having right now with traffic, right? Think about what's happening with malls. Mall traffic is back,” Hochman said. “People want a third place. They want an affordable, easy way to get together.”
Similarly, the pricing and value dynamics that have allowed Chili’s to compete directly with fast food could boost Maggiano’s as well.
“Right now, for the first time in a long time, people think casual dining is as good a value as QSR,” Hochman said.
