fire on social, fans were posting videos of “cheese pulls” while eating the chain’s fried mozzarella appetizer. Dallas-based Chili’s capitalized on the action, making Fried Mozz and Nashville Hot Mozz permanent options for the Triple Dipper. “At Chili’s, we’ve fully leaned into dipping for years,” said VP of marketing Jesse Johnson. “When fans’ Triple Dipper orders and Fried Mozzarella cheese pulls went wild on TikTok this summer, we took it a step further by introducing Nashville Hot Mozz, and now Honey Chipotle Mozz, as a double-dippable moment—tossing our famous Fried Mozzarella in our most-loved sauces to be dunked in our house- made ranch. Customization and a feeling of indulgence is key for our guests, and experiences like the Triple Dipper deliver on both.” The Triple Dipper now makes up about 11% of Chili’s total sales and has drawn younger guests to
the restaurants, as my colleague Joe Guszkowski reported last month. Tampa-based Outback Steakhouse is also tapping into dips’ attributes of indulgence and shareability with its Steakmas holiday menu. The limited-time promotion celebrates steak. “Steakmas was very successful last year but we didn’t have an appetizer on the menu in 2023,” said Becky Boyd, director of menu innovation and strategy for parent company, Bloomin’ Brands. “And shareables are a crowd-pleaser and don’t get the veto vote.” So this season, Outback introduced the Three Cheese Steak Dip, a creamy blend of seasoned steak and three cheeses, sprinkled with diced tomatoes and green onions and served warm with crisp tortilla chips. It feeds four and sells for $15.49. “A steak-forward dip fits the Steakmas theme, and we chose filet because its tender and lean and
doesn’t conflict with the richness of the cheese,” said Boyd. “It’s easy to execute and guests love it,” adding that in the few weeks since launch it’s already getting rave reviews. In addition, the Three Cheese Steak Dip hits multiple dining occasions, including happy hour, a light lunch or celebratory starter for the table. Dipping also shows up in another Steakmas menu item, the Bloomin' French Onion Sirloin. This steak is topped with melted provolone and Bloomin’ Onion petals, then served with a side of French onion soup for dipping. “Broths as dips are not that widespread on steakhouse menus,” said Boyd. Outback has had dips on the menu before, but not for a while, and Boyd sees more runway for them in the future. “Dips encourage flavor exploration and give guests control over the amount they eat,” she said. “We’re now trying to add dips to some of the items we already have on the menu.”
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JANUARY 2025 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
PHOTO COURTESY: OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
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