• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

Chili’s CMO is adding a little Italian to his overflowing plate. 

This week Brinker International, parent company to both Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy, announced the promotion of George Felix to executive vice president, CMO of the company, overseeing both brands.

Brinker brought on Felix as senior vice president, CMO, of Chili’s in 2022, which has since seen an explosion in growth due to its affordable 3 for Me and Triple Dipper entrées and popularity among Gen Z customers. Since Felix joined Chili’s, Brinker says its market capitalization has increased from $1.3 billion to $6.25 billion as of March.

Felix’s “leadership has shaped the entire guest experience and delivered sustainable results by making Chili's more relevant than ever,” said Brinker CEO and President Kevin Hochman. “Elevating him to lead marketing for both brands reflects our confidence in his ability to apply a proven playbook to Maggiano's and accelerate performance.”

In addition to continuing to lead Chili’s marketing efforts, Felix will now apply the “same strategic vision,” to Maggiano’s, according to the announcement. The company has been executing a "Back to Maggiano's" strategy, which seeks to simplify operations, and upgrade food and enhance service, which mirrors the success of Chili's. The company started to implement changes mid-2025, when it abandoned previous attempts at making the Maggiano’s brand more upscale, such as adding wagyu beef and intricate craft cocktails to the menu. 

“Felix will help Maggiano's to deliver Italian-American favorites abundantly served with warm and attentive service that makes our guests feel like family,” according to the announcement.