How much a stock's price changes over time is important for most investors, since price performance can both impact your investment portfolio and help you compare investment results across sectors and industries.

Another thing that can drive investing is the fear of missing out, or FOMO. This particularly applies to tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks.

What if you'd invested in Brinker International (EAT Quick QuoteEAT - Free Report) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to EAT for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?

Brinker International's Business In-Depth

With that in mind, let's take a look at Brinker International's main business drivers.

Brinker International, Inc. is based in Dallas, TX. The company owns, operates, develops and franchises restaurants under the Chili’s Grill & Bar (Chili’s) and Maggiano’s Little Italy (Maggiano’s) brands. The company took over Chili’s, Inc., a Texas-based corporation, in September 1983. It completed the acquisition of Maggiano’s in August 1995.

Chili’s is a bar and grill casual dining brand with a broad American menu. The brand has been operating for more than 40 years. Chili’s restaurants are located in the United States, 28 other countries and two U.S. territories. The menu is known for burgers, fajitas, baby back ribs and margaritas. In fiscal 2018, Brinker relaunched its My Chili’s Rewards program. The program offers free chips and salsa or soft drinks to members at every visit. Brinker has simplified the Chili’s menu to emphasize core categories, including burgers, fajitas, Chicken Crispers, margaritas and the Triple Dipper.

Brinker uses a value platform at lunch and dinner, including the “3 for Me” offering that bundles a non-alcoholic drink, an appetizer and select entrées starting at $10.99. The company also operates through takeout and delivery channels, which are included in company sales.

Maggiano’s is a full-service, casual dining Italian restaurant brand. It offers individual and family-style menus. Most restaurants include banquet facilities designed to host large party business and social events. The menu includes a classic Italian-American range of appetizers and entrees, with portions of pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, prime steaks and desserts.

The company reports two operating segments, Chili’s and Maggiano’s. During fiscal 2026, Maggiano’s represented about 8% of sales, while Chili’s accounted for about 92%. As of September 23, 2026, the company owned, operated or franchised 1,641 restaurants. This included 1,174 company-owned restaurants and 467 franchised restaurants. The company-owned base includes domestic and international Chili’s units and domestic Maggiano’s units. The franchised base includes domestic and international Chili’s restaurants and a small domestic Maggiano’s franchise business.

Bottom Line

Anyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio takes a combination of a few things: research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in Brinker International a decade ago, you're probably feeling pretty good about your investment today.

A $1000 investment made in November 2016 would be worth $4,558.31, or a 355.83% gain, as of November 5, 2026, according to our calculations. Investors should note that this return excludes dividends but includes price increases.

In comparison, the S&P 500's gained 268.73% and the price of gold went up 201.27% over the same time frame.

Looking ahead, analysts are expecting more upside for EAT.

Shares of Brinker International have outperformed the industry in the past year. The company is benefiting from Chili's sustained traffic gains, compelling everyday value and menu innovation. Better restaurant execution is supporting higher sales volumes and margin expansion. Reimages and a measured development pipeline offer additional growth opportunities. Higher cash generation supports reinvestment and shareholder returns, while raised fiscal 2027 guidance reflects continued momentum. However, beef and other operating cost inflation could limit further margin gains. Maggiano's remains a drag as falling traffic offsets early banquet improvements. Consumer spending constraints are also affecting guest mix and could restrict pricing flexibility as prior-year sales comparisons become tougher.

The stock is up 18.96% over the past four weeks, and no earnings estimate has gone lower in the past two months, compared to 9 higher, for fiscal 2026. The consensus estimate has moved up as well.