Popular grill and bar chain opens location next to the Merced Mall

Chili’s Grill and Bar will be opening its doors in Merced this week at its location next to the Merced Mall.

According to General Manager Angel Flores, the restaurant will be celebrating its grand opening on Monday with a 9 a.m. ribbon cutting at the 1075 W. Olive Ave. location in Merced.

“We’re inviting the city to come check us out,” said Flores. “Unfortunately we won’t be able to serve anybody until 11 a.m., but we’re really excited to announce the opening to the whole city.”

According to Flores, he believes the atmosphere at the restaurant is one thing that sets it apart from other restaurants in the city.

“We have a very welcoming atmosphere here at Chili’s,” said Flores. “Team members–we feel like they love their job here. We feel like they’re going to express it with their service that they provide for the guests that come into Chili’s. It’s the connection that we want to bring to all of Merced.”

Flores said the restaurant chain is known for its offerings of burgers, ribs and fajitas as well as its lineup of margaritas and the crispy chicken crispers. Diners will also have the ability to pay their check at the table through the use of an interactive Presto screen, according to Flores.

“If people are in a hurry during their lunch time when their coming in from work and need some easy accessible payments, we offer that on the table,” said Flores. Diners can also access games on the interactive screens as well as sign of for Chili’s rewards program.

Currently, more than 50 employees have been hired for the Merced location. The restaurant’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

The location was previously scheduled to open around the end of January, according to Flores. Unfortunately, extreme weather throughout the Central Valley earlier this year pushed the opening date back to Monday, June 25.

According to Flores, the restaurant aims to be a destination not only for families and those looking to watch sporting events, but also local sports teams after games and hard-working professionals in the city during the restaurant’s happy hour.

Flores said he has received a really warm response from the community leading up to the restaurant’s opening. “We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls about people wondering when we’re opening, a lot of excitement around the city when I’m going out wearing me Chili’s gear,” said Flores. “It’s really heartwarming to see how everybody is excited to not only have new restaurants opening up, but the Chili’s brand itself to be here.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2023 at 2:19 PM.