Just a year ago, casual dining chains like TGI Fridays and Red Lobster were filing for bankruptcy. Now a resurgence is underway, with Chili's leading the charge. Call it a babyback comeback.

Chili's has "become the poster child" for the resurgence of casual dining restaurants , said The Wall Street Journal . The company reported a 24% annual increase in same-store sales last quarter from a year earlier, thanks to a "widening value gap." While "eating out has become more expensive everywhere," the price increases have been less steep and noticeable at sit-down restaurants, allowing them to "play offense" in the race to attract diners. The result? A "Chili's effect" that is spreading even to restaurants like Applebee's, which is seeing quarterly sales growth "after eight straight de

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