A match made in margarita heaven: Chili’s teams up with Lifetime for a made-for-TV holiday movie

Chili’s is celebrating National Margarita Day this month with a new romcom Lifetime holiday movie.

The casual-dining restaurant chain and cable network will debut a 15-minute TV short film, called I’ll Be Home For National Margarita Day, first airing on Lifetime on February 19 and available on Lifetime.com, YouTube, and social platforms.

Starring actors Maria Menounos and Taye Diggs, the new flick hits on all the classic Lifetime tropes, including a big-city-dwelling woman returning to her hometown to reconnect with an old flame, who happens to be a bartender at Chili’s. The reunited lovers must work together to save a small town’s National Margarita Day celebration from the villainous big-city developer.

“He’s like a bad guy right out of a Lifetime movie,” says Diggs during one of the film’s self-referential moments. 

“I think there are parallels between why people look to Lifetime and the great content they create, as well as why people look for a night out at a place like Chili’s,” says Chili’s chief marketing officer George Felix in an interview with Fast Company. “It’s a reliable source of comfort.”

The project also presents an appetizing marketing opportunity for Chili’s, which sold 25 million margaritas last year, more than any other restaurant chain in the U.S. Chili’s worked with creative agency Mischief on the film, which is a core pillar of the restaurant chain’s largest-ever marketing campaign for National Margarita Day, a “holiday” that is celebrated on February 22.

‘We need excuses to laugh’

Chili’s is also offering several margarita promos, including a one-day $5 margarita special called the “Tequila Trifecta,” which combines el Jimador Silver, 1800 Reposado, and Jose Cuervo Gold.

“When people are thinking about margaritas and a place to go out, Chili’s is really the first choice,” says Felix.

Menounos, who plays Liz, is already well known to the Lifetime audience having previously appeared in the network’s films including Christmas at Plumhill Manor and The Holiday Dating Guide. The actress says she is so charmed by the genre that she cofounded a holiday movie production company in 2024 with her husband, writer and film producer Keven Undergaro, called We Heart Holidays.

“Life has gotten so hard and so challenging, we need excuses to laugh, and smile, and have fun, and have margaritas,” says Menounos. 

Menounos has also been a devoted fan of Chili’s for well over two decades and even hired a former Chili’s waiter to work at her company. Menounos says she tends to prefer appetizers including the chips and salsa, nachos, and the fried mozzarella. 

Beyond her love of holiday flicks, Menounos says she was lured to the project to work with a friend, Diggs, who plays Sam in the film and also previously starred in Lifetime’s Terry McMillian Presents: Forever. Diggs says he’s a more recent convert to the Chili’s cuisine. 

“We all knew these characters, but at the same time, it’s a little bit tongue in cheek, because we’re talking about Chili’s and mozzarella sticks and margaritas,” says Diggs.

A bar and grill on a roll

The chain has become a star performer for restaurant operator Brinker, which also owns the Italian-themed Maggiano’s. Comparable restaurant sales, which tracks the performance at locations that have been open for more than 18 months, have increased steadily over the past several quarters.

For the most recent fiscal second quarter, comparable restaurant sales jumped 31% at Chili’s, growth that astonished Wall Street analysts, who have praised the chain’s comeback as one of the strongest ever in the restaurant industry.

Felix says the chain has benefited from reinvesting in national TV advertising after a long pause during the pandemic, as well as a streamlined menu with 25% fewer items than two years ago. The core focus is now on five categories: burgers, chicken crispers, fajitas, margaritas, and the triple dipper. 

The triple dipper, which allows diners to select from a range of three different appetizers, has been a particular popular dish. Last spring, Chili’s began to notice some social media chatter, especially on TikTok, that frequently featured the combination of sliders, honey chipotle chicken crispers, and fried mozzarella.

TikTok users were particularly drawn to performing what’s known as the “cheese pull” as they bite into the fried mozzarella.

“This item really lends itself to the way that the TikTok food world works,” says Felix. Chili’s cultivated interest in the dish by partnering with social media influencers. The triple dipper has amassed over 200 million views on TikTok in just the past six months. 

The Lifetime film presents yet another opportunity for Chili’s to lean into pop culture. While the network’s audience tends to skew more female, Chili’s says the brand’s overall strategy is fairly gender balanced. Recent partnerships include launching the espresso martini with the female cast members of Bravo’s TV show Vanderpump Rules, but other recent activations with NASCAR and the comedy group Dude Perfect lean more male. 

“The fact that Chili’s is a brand that really appeals to a wide demographic gives us, as marketers, a wide range of partners that we can play with,” says Felix. “Lifetime hits one of our big audiences in a big way.”

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