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It was lunchtime, and this Chili’s in suburban Dallas was hopping: office friends gossiping, parents eating chips and salsa, their kids gaming on Chili’s-branded Ziosk tablets. Nearby, a landscaping crew in matching uniforms devoured fajitas. Tom Petty played on the stereo. Our server had just placed a smorgasbord before us, including a Triple Dipper appetizer combo in the now-canonical configuration: Big Mouth Bites, Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers, and Nashville Hot Mozz.

Across from me, George Felix luxuriated in the vibes. Three years ago, when he was hired as the chief marketing officer at Chili’s, his friends from business school all had the same reaction, h

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