Want your baby back ribs? Better get them before this SLO County Chili’s closes for good
Chili’s Grill & Bar in Arroyo Grande is shutting its doors for good this week, a manager confirmed to The Tribune on Monday.
Manager Ben Johnson said the restaurant located at 991 Rancho Parkway will close at the end of the day Tuesday. Johnson declined to disclose why the restaurant is closing, saying, simply, “It’s business.”
Employees were notified 65 days before the closure, he added.
Johnson said Chili’s normally closes at 10:40 p.m., but the restaurant could close sooner on Tuesday, depending on when the food runs out.
When reached for comment, a corporate Chili’s Grill & Bar spokesperson confirmed the closure.
“We constantly review the performance of our restaurants and from time to time will make the tough decision to close a location based on evaluative criteria,” the spokesperson said in an email to The Tribune. “We are very grateful to our Team Members/Teammates and the loyal guests of Arroyo Grande who visited this restaurant over the last 11 years.”
Chili’s was founded in 1975 in Dallas, Texas.
The chain serves up burgers and Tex Mex-inspired dishes such as fajitas and margaritas. But it’s probably most well known for its baby back ribs — the subject of its catchy commercial jingle.
It’s owned by Brinker International, which also operates the Maggiano’s Little Italy brand.
The Arroyo Grande Chili’s opened in 2008, in a shopping center that includes Trader Joe’s, Petco and Pier One Imports.
It is one of two Chili’s locations in San Luis Obispo County, with the other located in Paso Robles.
When reached for comment, a representative of the Paso Robles Chili’s said it has “no plans to close.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 1:00 PM.
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