35 workers losing jobs as a Chili’s closes in southern Maine

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Chain Tex-Mex restaurant Chili’s Grill & Bar, located near the Maine Mall, will permanently close on May 7, a manager on duty Monday morning confirmed.

Thirty-five employees will lose their jobs, according to an official disclosure made under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

Parent company Brinker International owns the restaurant, along with Maine’s only other Chili’s, in Bangor. Messages to Brinker’s corporate headquarters in Texas were not immediately returned.

Brinker also controls restaurant brands Maggiano’s Little Italy and It’s Just Wings. Altogether, Brinker operates more than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries, plus two U.S. territories, its website states.

Global business tracking website Statista reports Brinker generated approximately $4.1 billion in revenues during 2023, which was up from $3.8 billion the previous year.