Brinker International Inc
Q3 2026 Earnings
Market Reaction
S&P 500 over the same 30 days: +6.60%.
Did EAT Beat Earnings? Q3 2026 Results
Brinker International delivered a modest earnings beat in its fiscal third quarter of 2026, posting adjusted EPS of $2.90 against a consensus estimate of $2.86, a 1.30% beat that extended the company's streak of topping EPS expectations to four consecutive quarters. Revenue came in at $1.47 billion, essentially in line with estimates though a narrow 0.25% miss, representing 3.2% growth from the year-ago period. The headline driver behind the quarter was Chili's, which logged its 20th consecutive quarter of comparable restaurant sales growth at 4.0%, even as a sharp intra-quarter divergence told a more nuanced story; January comps were held to just 0.6% by Winter Storm Fern and a holiday calendar shift, while February and March both rebounded to 5.9%. Maggiano's remained a drag, with comparable sales falling 4.6% and restaurant operating margins compressing to 9.6% from 14.3%. With Raymond James reiterating a Buy rating and a $195.00 price target, investor attention now turns to updated full-year guidance, which narrows the revenue range to $5.78 billion to $5.82 billion and raises the low end of non-GAAP EPS guidance to $10.60 to $10.85.
- Chili's 20th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth at 4.0%, lapping a 31.6% comp
- February and March Chili's comps both at 5.9% with positive traffic
- Disciplined strategy focused on food, service, and atmosphere fundamentals
- Menu innovation, everyday value proposition, and attention-capturing media and advertising
- Menu pricing of 4.6% at Chili's offset by 1.2% traffic decline and 0.6% favorable mix
- January Chili's comps of only 0.6% due to Winter Storm Fern and one fewer operating day
- Maggiano's comparable restaurant sales declined 4.6% driven by lower traffic
- Higher commodity costs, unfavorable menu item mix, and increased delivery fees pressured restaurant margins
“Chili's delivered its 20th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth, up 4%, lapping a 31% increase a year ago.”
Brinker International CEO, on the earnings call
Forward Guidance & Outlook
Brinker updated its full-year fiscal 2026 guidance: total revenues are now expected to be $5.78 billion to $5.82 billion (narrowed from $5.76 billion to $5.83 billion). Non-GAAP EPS guidance was raised at the low end to $10.60–$10.85 (from $10.45–$10.85). Capital expenditures were lowered to $240.0 million–$250.0 million (from $250.0 million–$260.0 million). Diluted weighted average shares are expected to be 44.7 million to 45.0 million. Full-year projected new restaurant openings are 33–36.
EAT YoY Financials
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Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.