Can mozzarella sticks save America’s fast-casual restaurants?

America’s fast casual restaurants are almost universally struggling. But a few chains are betting on one universally beloved fried finger food to draw customers back into booths: the humble mozzarella stick. Over the past year or so, the fast casual sector has faced a chilling effect as inflation and rising menu prices continue to drive consumers away. Last year, chains including Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, Buca di Beppo, and BurgerFi all sought bankruptcy protection. Others, like Dine Brands (the owner of Applebee’s and IHOP) and Darden (the owner of Olive Garden) have recently reported lackluster financial results. Amidst this dreary environment, Chili’s, the fast casual restaurant known for its margaritas and appetizers, is having a shockingly good year. The brand saw a 31% jump in sales in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, alongside a nearly 20% increase in traffic. Chili’s parent company, Brinker International, raked in total sales of about $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025 compared to about $1.1 billion in 2024. A good portion of Chili’s success can be attributed to several viral appetizers—most notably, its fried mozzarella sticks—which have boosted the restaurant’s visibility in the cultural zeitgeist. Now, TJI Friday’s seems to be taking a page out of Chili’s book to revitalize its dying brand by putting mozzarella sticks front and center. [Photo: Chili’s] Chili’s pioneers mozzarella stick-Tok In a January earnings call, Chili’s CEO Kevin Hochman laid out a few of the changes driving Chili’s recent success, including simplifying the menu, upgrading ingredients, and, crucially, investing in a social media marketing campaign centered around appetizers. Back in April 2024, Chili’s partnered with a number of social media influencers to market its Triple Dipper, an appetizer plate that lets customers choose three different dishes (the mozzarella sticks, which were added to the menu in 2002, being one of the most popular choices.) The collabs took off, spawning dozens of TikToks with viewership in the hundreds of thousands of influencers sampling both the Triple Dipper and the mozzarella sticks by themselves. The mozzarella sticks developed a kind of cult online fanbase both for their chunky rectangular form factor and for their cheese-pull properties, a measurement of how stretchy melted cheese is that’s a sought-after characteristic for food-based content creators. The appetizer was so popular among young fans on TikTok that the company introduced two new flavors in 2024, Nashville Hot Mozz and Honey Chipotle Mozz, which, predictably, spawned another wave of Chili’s mozzarella stick reviews. In all, Hochman told investors, interest in the Triple Dipper doubled year-over-year, jumping from accounting for 7% of total sales to 14%. [Photo: TGI Fridays] TJI Friday’s goes stick-for-stick with Chili’s It looks like TJI Friday’s is now hoping to dip into the mozzarella stick craze in an effort to revive its business. It’s been a rough several years for TGI Friday’s. In early 2024, the chain abruptly shuttered a series of underperforming stores. Then, in December, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic as the main factor driving the decision. Today, the company has whittled down its presence in the U.S. to just 85 stores, compared to 600 during its heyday in 2006. Now, under CEO Ray Blanchette, who previously ran the company between 2018 and 2023 and returned again in January, TJI Friday’s is taking a bold risk to turn its fate around. In an interview with CNN this week, Blanchette shared that the company is planning to change 85% of its menu to streamline the available options and attract both Gen Zers and millennials to the chain. [Photo: TGI Fridays] To start, the company is paring back on the more out-there items on the menu (at one point, oddly, that included sushi), introducing a new signature sauce, and revamping its cocktail menu. According to Blanchette, the new drink offerings include seven signature cocktails from the company’s early days, now with “eye-catching” colors, and they’re intended to entice Gen Zers who “love speciality beverages.” Chili’s has used a similar strategy for some time, debuting a margarita of the month in neon hues that often take off on socials (like last summer’s Berry Shark Bite Marg and this month’s ‘90s-inspired Radical Rita.) And, of course, TGI Friday’s is introducing its own spin on the saucy mozzarella sticks. Blanchette says that the brand has offered mozzarella sticks for decades, and actually helped turn them into a staple on menus across the industry. On its new menu, the chain will go stick-for-stick with Chili’s through flavors including Franks RedHot Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan, and Whiskey Glaze. “For us, mozzarella sticks are not a trend,” Blanchette told Fast Company. “[. . .] When we saw others

May 16, 2025 - 13:02

Can mozzarella sticks save America’s fast-casual restaurants?

America’s fast casual restaurants are almost universally struggling. But a few chains are betting on one universally beloved fried finger food to draw customers back into booths: the humble mozzarella stick.

Over the past year or so, the fast casual sector has faced a chilling effect as inflation and rising menu prices continue to drive consumers away. Last year, chains including Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, Buca di Beppo, and BurgerFi all sought bankruptcy protection. Others, like Dine Brands (the owner of Applebee’s and IHOP) and Darden (the owner of Olive Garden) have recently reported lackluster financial results.

Amidst this dreary environment, Chili’s, the fast casual restaurant known for its margaritas and appetizers, is having a shockingly good year. The brand saw a 31% jump in sales in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, alongside a nearly 20% increase in traffic. Chili’s parent company, Brinker International, raked in total sales of about $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025 compared to about $1.1 billion in 2024.

A good portion of Chili’s success can be attributed to several viral appetizers—most notably, its fried mozzarella sticks—which have boosted the restaurant’s visibility in the cultural zeitgeist. Now, TJI Friday’s seems to be taking a page out of Chili’s book to revitalize its dying brand by putting mozzarella sticks front and center.

Chili’s pioneers mozzarella stick-Tok

In a January earnings call, Chili’s CEO Kevin Hochman laid out a few of the changes driving Chili’s recent success, including simplifying the menu, upgrading ingredients, and, crucially, investing in a social media marketing campaign centered around appetizers.

Back in April 2024, Chili’s partnered with a number of social media influencers to market its Triple Dipper, an appetizer plate that lets customers choose three different dishes (the mozzarella sticks, which were added to the menu in 2002, being one of the most popular choices.) The collabs took off, spawning dozens of TikToks with viewership in the hundreds of thousands of influencers sampling both the Triple Dipper and the mozzarella sticks by themselves.

The mozzarella sticks developed a kind of cult online fanbase both for their chunky rectangular form factor and for their cheese-pull properties, a measurement of how stretchy melted cheese is that’s a sought-after characteristic for food-based content creators. The appetizer was so popular among young fans on TikTok that the company introduced two new flavors in 2024, Nashville Hot Mozz and Honey Chipotle Mozz, which, predictably, spawned another wave of Chili’s mozzarella stick reviews.

In all, Hochman told investors, interest in the Triple Dipper doubled year-over-year, jumping from accounting for 7% of total sales to 14%.

TJI Friday’s goes stick-for-stick with Chili’s

It looks like TJI Friday’s is now hoping to dip into the mozzarella stick craze in an effort to revive its business.

It’s been a rough several years for TGI Friday’s. In early 2024, the chain abruptly shuttered a series of underperforming stores. Then, in December, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing financial difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic as the main factor driving the decision. Today, the company has whittled down its presence in the U.S. to just 85 stores, compared to 600 during its heyday in 2006.

Now, under CEO Ray Blanchette, who previously ran the company between 2018 and 2023 and returned again in January, TJI Friday’s is taking a bold risk to turn its fate around. In an interview with CNN this week, Blanchette shared that the company is planning to change 85% of its menu to streamline the available options and attract both Gen Zers and millennials to the chain.

To start, the company is paring back on the more out-there items on the menu (at one point, oddly, that included sushi), introducing a new signature sauce, and revamping its cocktail menu. According to Blanchette, the new drink offerings include seven signature cocktails from the company’s early days, now with “eye-catching” colors, and they’re intended to entice Gen Zers who “love speciality beverages.” Chili’s has used a similar strategy for some time, debuting a margarita of the month in neon hues that often take off on socials (like last summer’s Berry Shark Bite Marg and this month’s ‘90s-inspired Radical Rita.)

And, of course, TGI Friday’s is introducing its own spin on the saucy mozzarella sticks. Blanchette says that the brand has offered mozzarella sticks for decades, and actually helped turn them into a staple on menus across the industry. On its new menu, the chain will go stick-for-stick with Chili’s through flavors including Franks RedHot Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan, and Whiskey Glaze.

“For us, mozzarella sticks are not a trend,” Blanchette told Fast Company. “[. . .] When we saw others leaning into sauced versions, we knew it was time to remind everyone who did it first—and now we’re raising the bar.”

To spread the word, TGI Friday’s has a new socials team that’s already jumping on mozzarella stick-Tok, including with a video posted this week of mozzarella sticks getting tossed in sauce to George Michael’s sensual “Careless Whisper.” Chili’s may have paved the way, but TGI Friday’s will be the first testcase of whether mozzarella sticks are enough to save America’s fast casual restaurants.