Brinker International Inc., parent to the Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy casual-dining brands, on Thursday released its first Sustainability Report, noting that in 2021 it increased diverse representation at the restaurant operations level to 35% and raised average hourly pay, including tips, to $16.95.
Dallas-based Brinker, which also owns the It’s Just Wings and Maggiano’s Italian Classics virtual brands, outlined new goals to increase diverse representation at the restaurant operations level to 40% by 2025 and raise average hourly pay, including tips, to $18 an hour by fiscal 2023.
The full report, which can be downloaded from Brinker’s website, outlines progress and goals in four areas: people, food, world and governance.
“Creating a better world is built into our culture and passion of making people feel special,” said Wyman Roberts, Brinker’s president and CEO, in a statement.
“We know that making people feel special extends beyond the things we do for individual team members and guests to what we do for the communities and the world in which they live,” Roberts said. “This report represents a new chapter in our commitment to environmental, social and governance issues and reporting.”
Among highlights of progress in fiscal 2021, Brinker said it:
- launched three new diversity, equity and inclusion programs: a Leadership Listens Series, Leaders Leading Through Diversity and an Executive Cohort.
- awarded hourly team members with more than $3.8 million in retention bonuses and increased average hourly pay, including tips, to $16.95.
- promoted 2,011 hourly team members to management positions as certified shift leaders.
- raised $10 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, based in Memphis, Tenn., toward a total contribution of $88 million throughout the partnership.
Brinker also outlined other goals, which include:
- increasing female representation at the restaurant operations leadership level to 45% by fiscal year 2025.
- increasing Chili’s general manager total earnings to $100,000 on average by fiscal year 2025.
- promoting at least 80% of Chili’s managers and 90% of Chili’s general managers from internal candidates in fiscal year 2022.
Brinker International has more than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two U.S. territories.
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