Chili’s Grill & Bar

Published 2025–2026 FDD summaries place the estimated investment for a traditional Chili’s Grill & Bar at approximately $3.96 million to $6.35 million. The amount depends on factors such as restaurant format, construction, site work, equipment and working capital.

The initial franchise fee is commonly reported as $60,000, although certain development agreements may use a different fee structure. Prospective franchisees should request the current FDD and a format-specific cost breakdown.

Chili’s franchise development is oriented toward established restaurant operators with the financial resources and operational capacity to develop multiple locations. Brinker says its international franchise agreements are generally limited to enterprises with a proven restaurant-operations record and sufficient financial strength for multi-unit development; applicants should confirm the current domestic criteria directly with the company.
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The brand’s publicly reported financial thresholds include $400,000 or more in liquidity per restaurant and $500,000 or more in net worth per restaurant. These should be verified against the current U.S. franchise requirements.

FDD summaries report a 1.25% royalty on gross sales, alongside a 2.75% technical services fee. Advertising charges may include a national contribution, local advertising and an advertising production fee.

Because the fee schedule includes several separate charges, franchise candidates should review the complete Item 6 disclosures and the franchise agreement to determine the total ongoing obligations.

Chili’s does not provide unit-level financial performance information in Item 19 of the FDD summaries reviewed here. As a result, a current franchised-unit average annual revenue figure cannot be reliably stated from those filings.

Prospective franchisees should request any financial information the franchisor is permitted to provide and contact current or former franchisees listed in the FDD. Gross sales should not be confused with owner income or profit.

Chili’s has a franchise-development model that includes multi-unit agreements. Brinker’s filing describes development arrangements as a mechanism for expansion and says it looks for financially strong, proven restaurant operators for multi-unit international development. Domestic candidates should confirm available markets and minimum commitments with the franchisor.