Brinker Expands Chili's Presence With New Scranton Location

Core Insights - Brinker International, Inc. is expanding its Chili's Grill & Bar brand with a new location in Scranton, set to open on April 7, featuring unique menu items and a culturally inspired dining experience [1] - The company is prioritizing both domestic and international expansion, focusing on high-growth markets to drive long-term growth [2][3] Expansion Strategy - Brinker is actively pursuing international expansion through development agreements with franchise partners and is supporting them with virtual brand offerings [3] - For fiscal 2024, Brinker opened nine Chili's restaurants, with plans for 9 to 11 domestic openings and 21 to 25 international openings in fiscal 2025 [3] Financial Performance - Brinker shares have increased by 15.5% over the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry, which grew by 3.3% [5] - The company's growth is attributed to increased menu pricing, effective marketing strategies, and traffic-driving initiatives [5] Zacks Rank and Comparisons - Brinker holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong market performance [6] - Other top-ranked stocks in the Zacks Retail-Wholesale sector include BJ's Restaurants, On Holding, and Sprouts Farmers Market, with varying performance metrics and growth estimates [6][7][8]