Dive Brief:
- Chili’s Grill & Bar is paying homage to a TV show popular among millennials with the April 7 opening of a Scranton, Pennsylvania, location based on “The Office,” according to a press release.
- The restaurant will be decorated with vintage decor and mementos celebrating the brand’s on-screen moments. The location will be the only one serving the discontinued Awesome Blossom menu item.
- The location’s opening is supported by social media and online ads, including one featuring “The Office” stars Melora Hardin, Andy Buckley and Amy Pietz. The restaurant chain is also launching a line of merchandise based on its Scranton location.
Dive Insight:
Amid efforts to modernize its restaurants, Chili’s is also embracing nostalgia with a unique strategy for its newest permanent location. Known as the Scranton Branch, the Pennsylvania restaurant pays homage to the popular sitcom “The Office.” The location is intended to tap into the show’s ongoing cultural relevance and a sense of nostalgia among millennial and Gen Z consumers for the early 2000s.
Chili’s served as a central plot point for “The Client,” the seventh episode of the second season of the popular show. During the episode, the employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of Dunder Mifflin, a fictional paper company, secured an important contract while meeting with a client at the restaurant. A booth recreating the scene will be available for photo ops.
“For decades, Chili’s has inserted itself in culture – introducing the now-famous Baby Back Ribs jingle, and most recently unleashing Triple Dipper cheese pulls on TikTok,” said George Felix, Chili’s CMO, in a statement. “But we’ve also seen the brand come to life on screen through the years, and that includes being tied to Scranton despite never having a location there… A moment this big was way more than a pop-up could pay off, so we created Chili’s Scranton Branch to feel like a familiar home to fans.”
The Scranton restaurant is designed to be reflective of the decor at a Chili’s in 2005, the year the episode aired. This includes vintage artwork and tiled tables and a chalk art mural made by a Chili’s artist from the early 2000s. The Awesome Blossom menu item adds an additional layer of nostalgia, since it was discontinued in 2008, as well as providing the location with an air of exclusivity.
To expand the impact of the soon-to-open restaurant beyond Scranton, the chain will launch a line of merchandise based on the location. Additionally, a margarita in honor of the location, the Scranton Marg, will be available for $5 nationwide only on April 7.
Amid economic concerns that are forcing consumers to increasingly seek out value from their dining choices, Chili’s has captured the attention of some. During the second quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, the chain’s parent company, Brinker International, posted revenue totaling $1.36 billion. This is a 26.45% year-over-year increase, according to an earnings call. The revenue growth was largely attributed to menu innovation and marketing.
