The End of an Era for Chili’s: The Siegen Marketplace Location Closes After 27 Years in Business

A popular restaurant chain, Chili’s, has recently closed its Siegen Marketplace location after 27 years in business. A sign on the door at 10305 N. Mall Drive thanked customers for their patronage and directed them to the two remaining Baton Rouge locations. The closure of this location marks the end of an era for Chili’s, as officials from Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s, did not provide any comments regarding the closure.

Over the past year and a half, Chili’s has been closing multiple locations across the U.S., including 16 restaurants in California, Tennessee, and Virginia. Recent online reports have indicated closures of Chili’s restaurants in various locations such as Port Arthur, Fort Wayne, Charlotte, Irvine, St. Joseph, and South Portland. These closures seem to be part of a larger shift towards smaller drive-through locations as stated by RJ Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer in an interview with CNN. These drive-through locations are smaller and require fewer staff members which makes them more cost effective for the company.

To promote this shift towards smaller drive-through locations, Chili’s has been promoting discount hamburger and chicken sandwich combos that cost $10.99 and come with fries, a soft drink