• Two gifts in one
  

“Your manager, Addie, was such a sweetheart to my sister and me at lunch the other day. My sister received a gift card from one of her students at Christmas, and for whatever reason, the card wasn't activated properly. Addie came out to explain the situation to us and told us our lunch was taken care of and gave my sister gift certificates for the amount that should have been on the card. We were totally impressed with her kindness and the complete professionalism she extended to us. You have a complete gem in this manager and she is a bright shining beacon for your organization.”

• Back to school
  

“Your manager Shannon is to be commended for her support of Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson High School. She supplied a wonderful meal for our PTA volunteers to enjoy during our school "prep days.” Our volunteers and office staff enjoyed the salads with much to spare. Shannon never hesitated when asked to support our school with this donation. We look forward to a continued partnership with Chili's and will encourage all of our community to support this location.”

• Like one of the family
  

“I would like to say thank you for everything your corporation has brought to my life. . I was previously employed as a server at Chili's, and while a part of the Chili’s team they always treated team members, as well as guests, like family. I was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and it was necessary for me to quit my job. The team members from the restaurant raised more than $2,500 through a foundation in my name. I have lost a lot since leaving my job, but am very grateful to them for going out of their way to help. I would like to relay my sincere gratitude to Chili's for the way they treat not only their guests, but team members as well. I only worked for your company for nine months, but I enjoyed being a part of it for the short time that I was able. Once again, thank you!”

• From a guest, from the heart
  

“I would like to thank the staff and manager, Les at your location on North Academy in Colorado Springs. My wife is dealing with stage three breast cancer. You can see by the fact she has no hair that she is well into chemotherapy. Your staff treated her like gold. In the month where you honor breast cancer awareness you did just that. Your staff passed by with words of encouragement. Les paid for our dinner and gave my kids some T-shirts. In a day where people seem like the only things that matter are themselves, your staff proved to be very different. You made a customer out of me for life. You all run a very good organization and I will do all I can to support your restaurant and staff. Thank you for your kindness to my family.”

• Maggiano’s team is said to be a saving grace
  

On Friday, Sept. 26, St. Louis Manager Libby Brown spoke to a table of first time Maggiano’s Guests. As with all first time Guests, Libby wanted to touch them and thank them for coming in. The couple opened up and said they were currently staying in St. Louis at the Ronald McDonald House while their nine month old son, Manning, waited for a new heart to replace the deficient heart he was born with.

The St. Louis Team bought their meal for them and sent them out the door with promises of many return visits to Maggiano’s with great comfort food. The next morning, the couple called to tell the team a heart had been found for Manning, and he would be transferred to Barnes Jewish Children’s Hospital for surgery that evening! The couple credit Maggiano’s as being their Savior, because of our best wishes and healing prayers.

On Sunday, Manning’s parents called to inform the team that Manning had responded well to the transplant! On Monday evening, the couple returned to Maggiano’s for a meal and to share some photos of Manning.

The entire St. Louis team has become emotionally tied with this family, and have ordered Manning a Maggiano’s blanket and pajamas to remind this small family that they will always be in our hopes & prayers. (Note: as of October 13, Manning is doing great!)

• A Cinderella dream come true
  

On Oct. 8, the Nashville Maggiano’s team hosted Make-A-Wish child Barrett and her family for a send-off dinner to celebrate her wish coming true – a trip to Disney World to become a Disney princess for the day. Barrett will travel to Disney World in May with her family on an all-expenses paid trip. For the farewell celebration, Maggiano’s teammate, Christina Roth, dressed up just like Cinderella to serve the party, which was complete with a Cinderella cake and balloons. The Nashville team also gave Barrett a gift bag filled with all the things a princess needs. It was so great for our Teammates to finally meet Barrett and give her an exciting send-off to Disney World!

• A restaurant with a cause
  

“I am currently battling breast cancer and was so pleased to see the Fiesta for the Cure activities at On the Border in Cary. My daughter and I had a delightful dinner there yesterday. Rachel, our server, was wonderful and made our dinner experience very pleasant. She was attentive, cheerful and made sure that we received the best service. Thank you for such a nice dinner and for all you are doing to support efforts in finding a cure for cancer.”

• Giving by design
  

For the second consecutive year, Brinker’s design department has collaborated with the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Texas at Arlington to participate in a design project for Chili’s Grill & Bar. Students enrolled in the Architecture Design Studio class developed several innovative restaurant prototypes utilizing new materials and creative building methodologies for Chili’s NOW, a project that was designed as a to-go only Chili's. In consideration for all their hard work, the design team donated a contribution to the School of Architecture and Interior Design. The students graciously accepted the donation and built a lighting laboratory and purchased a state-of-the-art 3-dimensional printer. Thanks to Rick McCaffery, Vice President of Architecture and Design, Kevin Falconer, Director of Design, and the entire Design department for Giving Back in our community and contributing to the advancement of aspiring architects!

• Anything for family
  

The Brinker Restaurant Support Center has a reputation for working hard and playing hard. Several departments recently hosted a field day to blow off some steam and raise money for the Brinker Family Fund (BFF). The BFF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization funded by employees and outside donations. The Fund assists employees in catastrophic or emergency situations such as a serious illness, natural disaster or death with living expenses such as rent, water and groceries. The field day included classic events such as a sack race, balloon toss, tug-o-war, four-legged race and a toilet race. Teams, formed from various Restaurant Support Center departments, faced off against each other in friendly, but heated competition. Employees were nominated to sit in a dunking booth by making donations to the Brinker Family Fund, raising an impressive $4,165.00.

• Introducing Princess Ella
  

The Maggiano’s Minneapolis team hosted their Make-A-Wish child, Ella, last week and the team wanted her to feel really special. Ella loves Disney Princesses, so they decorated one of the banquet rooms like a castle and gave Ella a Princess dress, shoes, crown and wand. She changed into it immediately and loved the room and decorations so much, she asked her Mom if they could all spend the night and sleep on the sofa. Ella also loves her dog Zoë, so the team got her a “puppy present basket” with goodies for her dog. Maggiano’s neighbors helped the team support her cause as well. The Mall of America gave her four free passes to Nickelodeon amusement park, four free passes to Underwater Adventure and Free Movie passes. Best Buy also discounted a portable DVD player so Ella can watch all her favorite Disney Princess movies.

• I’d like to speak with the Chef
  

The Maggiano’s Denver team recently hosted their Make-A-Wish (MAW) child, Austin. Austin wanted to meet Rachel Ray, but Rachel wasn’t available at that time. MAW wanted to do something special for her, so Austin and her family came into Maggiano's. Shon, Maggiano’s sous chef, gave Austin a special personal tour of the kitchen, had her work on some prep and gave her his business card (which entitles her to VIP status, as in "I'd like to speak with the Chef"). The team also gave Austin her very own embroidered chef coat. She had such a great time that she said she no longer needed to meet Rachel Ray - she'd already met Shon!

• Star soccer player
  

Maggiano’s Teammates in Denver discovered that one of their Make-A-Wish children, Christian, is an avid soccer fan and player. The restaurant sponsors a Maggiano's soccer team, so they shared Christian’s story with the team. A couple of the players were really inspired by Christian, and invited him to play with the team during their last game of the season. Christian was treated like a star when he received an official team jersey and shorts, and a soccer ball signed by all the players. He played the first half of the game and even took two penalty shots! He had a great time, and the entire team was so proud to have him there.

• Making connections in the community
  

The PeopleServices department at Brinker formed a group to help build relationships throughout the team and the community. Recently the group Gave Back at the Meadows Health & Rehabilitation Center – a rehabilitation and health care facility that provides 24-hour nursing care – in Dallas on Wednesday, April 2. They led games like Bingo, Hangman and Poker for the residents as well as distributing prizes and gift bags. The team also took pictures of the residents playing games or with their favorite nurse and printed and framed the pictures for the residents. While the games were going on inside, the other half of the team was planting donated spring flowers outside to enhance the visitors’ patio and front entrance of the center. “We were really excited by the feedback we got from the department when we returned. Some members of the team had never been exposed to nursing home facilities and were truly touched and even found themselves being able to reach out to the residents in ways that surprised even themselves,” said Debra Rhoads, Relocation Coordinator. “It was great to see everyone bouncing around work the next day. There was a good feeling among the team for having gone out into the community and given back to those who were so longing for that real human connection. In giving back, we were truly the ones who received so much!”

• Here’s looking at you, kid
  

“Cassie, from Chili’s in Blaine, was perfect in every way. She recognized that we had two small children and gave them things to keep them occupied. Our food came out quickly and she did not set the hot plates directly in front of our children, as most servers do. She promptly ran our credit card when she noticed I had taken it out while eating our dinner (I like to pay early in case the kids force us to make a quick getaway). Cassie actually made ‘eating out with children’ a pleasant experience. We will definitely be going back and will request that Cassie be our server.”

• The girl can’t help it
  

“My daughter who is 15 has recently developed an allergy to preservatives and Chili’s is the only restaurant in two months of looking that we’ve found where she can eat. The staff was amazing in accommodating her. The managers Corey and Hank and our server Stephanie made my daughter feel welcomed and like it was not trouble at all accommodating her. Stephanie brought out the container of butter so I could check the ingredients. I called five other restaurants in the area and none of them were very helpful. I am so grateful we found a nice restaurant with good food that my daughter can go to. Thank you.”

• Keeping our son safe
  

“I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience our family always has with our Hot Springs On The Border. Our son has severe food allergies and the OTB staff is always so knowledgeable and informed about food allergies. They are extremely careful in making sure our son’s meals are prepared safely and accurately in order to avoid an allergic reaction. I just wanted you to know how much we appreciate your attention to allergies. I also wanted to mention what a pleasure it has been to work with your managers in assuring our son’s safety. They are all wonderful, but we particularly appreciate the efforts of Manager David Griffith. He has gone above and beyond to make sure we have a positive experience when we visit. He does a great job representing your corporation.”

• A thoughtful act of gratitude
  

A New Jersey On The Border manager shows us that sometimes a great server is recognized by a guest in unique ways: “I just wanted to share a great story with you. We have two guests that have been visiting our restaurant for the past year and have become regulars for one of our servers. The server’s name is Keyonta. He is one of our strongest servers and is our catering captain. Last week, the guests came to dine with us and bought Keyonta a Kitchen Aid Mixer (worth about $300) because they know that his passion is to become a pastry cook and is doing his internship now. I thought this was an awesome story and had to share it with you.”

• Family first
  

“I would like to commend you and your staff last December while I was dining with my husband and a friend. We had just been served our dinner when I received a phone call with a family emergency. My mother, who was visiting from out-of-state, had fallen down the stairs at our home. When we asked for our receipt, the server said they would take care of the bill and proceeded to get us to go boxes. It is nice to know that there are people like that in your restaurants and I appreciate what you did for us that night. Again, thank you so much.”

• A night to remember
  

A mother who had recently lost her 16 year-old son to brain cancer took her friends out to dinner to thank them for all that they did during that trying time. Their server, Shawn, noticed that this night out had a special meaning to the group, and he was especially mindful of the situation. He proceeded to serve this table to the best of his ability and the table rarely had to ask for anything because it was already taken care of. The mother wanted to take the time and thank Shawn for this special dining experience.

• A T-shirt to go
  

“Each week my co-workers and I call Chili’s for lunch. I have never had a bad experience while there. The service is always outstanding, the food exactly how ordered, and always ready when they say it will be. Today, when I went in, Danielle was working at the To Go window. Every time she is there she is cute and bubbly and greets you with a smile. I happened to mention how cute I thought their new shirts were and she excused herself. She came back with the manager Jeff and a T-shirt for me. I was so excited. You just cannot find good customer service anymore. Danielle said she recognized me as a frequent visitor and liked to make sure all her customers walked away happy. Jeff was wonderful as well, he came out and introduced himself and chatted with me for a few minutes. I know this is hard to do, especially over the lunch rush. It really is the little things that count and this group goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

• Making the baby happy
  

“Thank you for an excellent experience and please accept our compliments toward one of the servers at Chili's. We arrived at 1:30p.m. - three adults and a one-year-old, after spending 30 minutes at another restaurant next door during which time no server found his way to our table. Frustrated, hungry, and packing a progressively more fussy baby, we weren't in much of a good mood. But our server countered that with his excellent service, jovial attitude and his willingness to help by bringing an array of things to please the baby - which ultimately worked. We spent $43.82, contributed $5 to St. Jude's, and tipped our server generously. He salvaged what started out as a disaster. I can only hope the team members I supervise are as attentive to guest needs.”

• An exemplary team member
  

“Recently, my family and I stopped at Chili’s south of San Francisco. Your host was a young man in a wheel chair. He was missing his arms and legs. My family and I were incredibly impressed with his professional demeanor. We also noticed how you made provisions in floor space to accommodate his employment. Kudos to your hiring policy and your company. I state these thoughts because in today’s world I have very little loyalty and patience with corporations and businesses in general. So when I see a company that consistently performs and sets examples of how things should be in the world, I give them my complete loyalty and patronage. You are a rare breed.”