“Value, especially for Gen Z, is no longer defined by price alone — it’s about the entire dining experience,” Hope Neiman, the chief marketing officer at Tillster, an ordering provider for brands like Burger King, Baskin-Robbins, and Popeyes, told Business Insider.
“That’s why brands like Chili’s are starting to resonate more with younger diners. At a sit-down chain, Gen Z can get more than just a meal — they’re getting a place to gather, linger, and connect, all while still finding affordable menu options,” she continued.
Neiman said that Chili’s new Big QP taps into a “unique sweet spot” of indulgence and value, two things that resonate with Gen Z.
“Meanwhile, fast food is no longer the default value play,” she said. “With inflation squeezing wallets, many diners now treat fast food as a splurge. When the cost of a drive-thru meal approaches the price of a casual dine-in, Gen Z is asking, ‘Why not make it count?'”
When included in the chain’s 3-For-Me meal deal, Chili’s Big QP burger costs $10.99. It also comes with an appetizer like a salad or chips and salsa, a bottomless drink, and fries.
The burger with fries costs $14.39, excluding tax, at my closest Chili’s in Glendale, New York.
At my local McDonald’s in Brooklyn, New York, a Quarter Pounder meal with a medium drink and fries costs $14.49, excluding tax. The burger on its own costs $7.69, excluding tax.
When Chili’s talks about value, they’re not talking about price alone, its CMO previously told Business Insider.
“I think a lot of brands mistake the lowest price point for being [the best] value, and I don’t think that’s giving consumers enough credit,” Chili’s CMO George Felix told BI in January. “So for us, we believe value is the entire holistic experience of what you pay for what you get.”
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