“chilis” is trending in the U.S. right now mainly because of a recent Chili’s incident involving margaritas that were accidentally prepared with a cleaning chemical, reportedly leading to burns for multiple customers and workers in North Carolina. Search interest is being amplified by widespread coverage and related video/headline content about what happened and whether the restaurant was shut down and reopened. Separately, Chili’s has also been getting fresh attention from social/viral momentum-Fast Company points to TikTok-driven buzz and a “viral restaurant turnaround” that has boosted sales and traffic. The spike, in other words, is a mix of immediate news curiosity (safety/accountability) and ongoing consumer hype (viral menu moments and deal-seeking).
