Brinker Sells 89 Chili's

DALLAS-Restaurant-operator Brinker International is selling 89 Chili’s Bar & Grill units to a franchise operating company owned by private-equity firm Olympus Partners. The deal is part of Brinker’s strategy to increase franchisee-operated units from 20% to 30% of its total portfolio.

The sale price of the restaurants was not revealed, but Brinker sold 15 units to a franchisee during its first quarter for $582,000. Over the past year franchisees have acquired 125 company-owned locations.

Pepper Dining is the name of the Olympus affiliate acquiring the Chili’s locations, which are in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Pepper also plans to develop an additional 20 to 44 restaurants in those areas.