“Hi, welcome to Chili’s” isn’t a greeting that foodies in Oregon will be hearing any time soon (Vine-lovers, rise up). Alas, the Beaver State is the only one of 50 in the U.S. without a Chili’s restaurant — a seeming byproduct of corporate exile across the state (there’s no Dunkin’ there either).
According to data platform ScrapeHero, as of April 2024, Chili’s has 1,222 U.S. restaurants scattered in fairly uniform distribution from coast to coast across 49 states. The largest concentration is in Texas with 216 restaurants, accounting for 18% of the total national presence. Elsewhere in America, Chili’s remains an endangered species. Per the Chili’s website, there’s only one location left in Maine, Washington, and North Dakota, and two locations each in Montana and South Dakota.
Despite these seemingly-grim figures, the fast-casual chain put up record-breaking numbers in late January with 31% comparable sales growth in fiscal Q2 2025 — and the drive was led by Gen Z foodies and their affinity for the Triple Dipper. Indeed, Chili’s appetizers like Big Mouth bites and boneless honey-chipotle wings are worth posting about. (We aren’t crazy about the chain’s quesadillas, though.) In 2024-2025, says the firm, Chili’s customers will “primarily [be] Gen Z (18-26) and Millennials (27-42), with a focus on younger, social media-savvy diners.”
Oregon persists, despite the lack of Chili’s
The inception of this younger generation’s reported obsession and social-media-influenced consumer motivation is ostensibly the viral hangover from Adam Perkins’ legendary 2015 Vine. Now, a decade after Perkins said “Hi, welcome to Chili’s” into the bathroom mirror (receiving more than 25 million loops before the app went defunct in 2017), Chili’s is continuing to draw traffic from a fan-slash-consumer-base with increasing purchasing power.
Luckily, the Oregon food scene is alive and thriving even without a Chili’s presence. Portland is home to plenty of poppin’ brunch spots, as well as the famous Voodoo Doughnut, which has been featured by such esteemed outlets as “The Tonight Show,” Playboy, SPIN, and more. Anthony Bourdain ate there during season three of “No Reservations.”
Beyond Portland, Oregon is known for gastronomic wonders like Salt & Straw ice cream, Tillamook cheese, Stumptown Coffee, Dungeness crab, marionberry pie, roasted hazelnuts, razor clam chowder, smoked salmon, and chanterelle mushrooms. Its local beverage sector is just as impressive with the esteemed Willamette Valley wine region, especially its world-class pinot noir, a delicate wine best enjoyed young, and a booming, innovative craft beer scene. Pendleton Whisky is even named after the eponymous Oregon town in which the annual Pendleton Round-Up rodeo festival has been held for over a century.
