With over 1,600 restaurants, spread out across 27 countries, Chili's has remained a reliable destination for those seeking a quality burger, sizzling fajitas, a shaken margarita, or a basket of chicken crispers. Before it became such a lunch and dinner staple, though, Chili's actually sprouted from very humble beginnings. It opened its doors for the first time, in the outskirts of Dallas, Texas, on March 13, 1975.
The very first Chili's looked and operated a little differently to the ones of today, but the fun spirit and delicious food legacy certainly carry on. Ever wonder what it was like to eat at the very first Chili's? The Daily Meal set out to paint that picture, conjuring up a certain place and time when casual dining was a concept in its infancy, and Chili's #1 was leading the way, with lines around the block. To complete this picture, we took a trip down memory lane.
This included stopping by Chili's current Dallas headquarters at Brinker International, as well as interviewing the man who started it all — founder Larry Lavine. A global franchise was never his initial intention with Chili's, as he mentioned, "We just wanted to make a living, and have a little neighborhood restaurant." Let's pull up a chair in that neighborhood restaurant, shall we? The name Chili's was cooked up from a chili contest Larry Lavine's career started with running a music venue called the Studio Club, where the likes of Chuck Berry and ZZ Top graced the stage.
He next took ownership of th.