Brinker’s Maggiano’s Lost ‘North Star’, Tariffs Hit Outlook (2)

Brinker International Inc. said higher-than-expected tariffs and softer results at its Maggiano’s chain offset gains at Chili’s, prompting the company to stick with its guidance despite better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.

Chili’s is on track to exceed expectations, but weaker results at its Italian-American restaurant chain Maggiano’s, investments to turn the brand around, and higher costs from tariffs, inflation, and benefits keep overall fiscal 2026 guidance unchanged, Chief Financial Officer Mika Ware said in an earnings call.

“I think we lost a little bit of what the North Star of Maggiano’s is,” Brinker’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Hochman said in the ...