However, many of the chains did not post the same jumps they did during the same year-ago quarter. For example, Chili's fell from 3.2%. One exception was the 238-restaurant Romano's Macaroni Grill, up 1.1% during the latest financial period, which fell 2.2% in the same year-ago period.

The concept that slipped the furthest from the prior year was the 92-unit On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, which crept up 0.6% this period from a 6.4% jump a year before. Meanwhile, Maggiano's Little Italy, with 37 restaurants, saw its comps fall to a 2.6% increase from 5.8%.

For the entire fiscal year, Brinker executives plan to open 152 to 169 restaurants, most of them Chili's, which is planned for 122 to 130 additional locations. In its Q2, Brinker opened 55 units, 46 of them Chili's, and closed 20.