# Don't eat at Chili's on Monday **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 5, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424 "2014-04-05T17:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/21 "2014-04-06T04:56:01Z")
And they should damn well own up to their mistakes, rather than give a mealy-mouthed half-assed explanation of how they are continuing with the donation because of the “percentage” of the funds going directly to helping families. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/22 "2014-04-06T04:58:06Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Yeah, no. Last time I checked, Chili’s is a teensy bit larger than a mom n pop restaurant or super-local chain with \<10 locations. > > A chain large enough to have a corporate HQ should damn well know it’s a good idea to spend 30 seconds googling a potential charity selection to be aware of (read: likely avoid) any controversial issues. Yes, but they’d also have to be smart enough to notice the controversial issue. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t realize that saying vaccines cause autism would cause them problems. They are at least trying to fix this, so I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and not boycott them. I still won’t go there, because I don’t know where one is nearby, but I won’t boycott them. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/23 "2014-04-06T05:12:53Z")
It was chosen by marketing people, who are known morons. I discovered Marketing second semester of senior year and kicked myself for having wasted my college years in majors where I had to work now and then. It’s Communications for ugly people. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/24 "2014-04-06T14:21:53Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > A chain large enough to have a corporate HQ should damn well know it’s a good idea to spend 30 seconds googling a potential charity selection to be aware of (read: likely avoid) any controversial issues. This. Especially given that you’d think every sentient being in the country would by now have heard of the autism/vaccination ‘controversy’ which is only still a controversy because people like Jenny McCarthy are still given a hearing. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/25 "2014-04-06T15:44:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > They are at least trying to fix this In what way is Chili’s trying “to fix this”? All I’ve heard are mealy-mouthed excuses, like saying the money is supposedly going to one specific good work and not into the NAA’s general fund. (To cite an admittedly extreme analogy, it’s like allocating a percentage of sales to go to a Ku Klux Klan chapter, then saying that’s OK because the money will only be used for their highway cleanup activities.) If Chili’s really wants to “fix” this mess, they could do what I suggested in the OP - donate 10% of sales on another Monday to an organization that facilitates immunization. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/26 "2014-04-06T15:55:02Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > No good deed goes unpunished. Okay, Chili’s fucked up by selecting a charity that supports anti-vaccine causes. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they simply thought they selected a controversy free charity devoted to helping people with autism. Should they have examined the charity a bit closer? Sure. But this isn’t why Chili’s sucks. It’s their food. I disagree. The reason Chili’s sucks is their poor service. ---
**Author:** ![la\_fille\_intellectuelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@la\_fille\_intellectuelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/la_fille_intellectuelle)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/27 "2014-04-06T16:13:26Z")
Never ate at Chili’s before,& now I never will thanks to his thread. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/28 "2014-04-06T19:56:34Z")
I eat at Chili’s at least once a week, so this is very frustrating. Way to suck, Chili’s. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/29 "2014-04-06T20:31:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I disagree. The reason Chili’s sucks is their poor service. It probably depends on location. I’ve been in a completely empty Chili’s in Carlsbad NM where many service people saw me and completely ignored me and even turned away before I could speak up about not being seated. I left. But I’ve been to a busy Chili’s in Georgia where I was seated and served immediately. I’ve returned to that one. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/30 "2014-04-06T21:11:57Z")
The company has agreed to do the right thing and cancel support for these miserable idiots. Ha. From the company’s Facebook page: > **[Chili's Grill & Bar](https://www.facebook.com/Chilis/posts/10152088076238214)** > > Chili's is committed to giving back to the communities in which our guests live and work through local and national Give Back Events. While we remain committed to supporting the children and families... > [@](#): > > Chili’s Grill & Bar > > 29 mins · . > Chili’s is committed to giving back to the communities in which our guests live and work through local and national Give Back Events. While we remain committed to supporting the children and families affected by autism, we are canceling Monday’s Give Back Event based on the feedback we heard from our guests. > > We believe autism awareness continues to be an important cause to our guests and team members, and we will find another way to support this worthy effort in the future with again our sole intention being to help families affected by autism. At Chili’s, we want to make every guest feel special and we thank all of our loyal guests for your thoughtful questions and comments. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/31 "2014-04-06T21:12:53Z")
I really wish someone would arrange a boycott of someplace I shop or a product I use so I could feel more a part of a movement. I already don’t eat at Chili’s and the Koch brothers’ brands of household products are second-tier brands at first-tier prices. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/32 "2014-04-06T21:23:22Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > It probably depends on location. I’ve been in a completely empty Chili’s in Carlsbad NM where many service people saw me and completely ignored me and even turned away before I could speak up about not being seated. I left. > > But I’ve been to a busy Chili’s in Georgia where I was seated and served immediately. I’ve returned to that one. Yeah, quality of service is the kind of thing I wouldn’t be surprised to find varied greatly depending on location (or maybe even on who happened to be working at the time you visited that location). To blame, or praise, an entire chain based on limited experience doesn’t seem fair. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/33 "2014-04-06T21:32:22Z")
I pretty much ignore all the bottom-tier chain “fun” restaurants - Chili’s, Applebee’s, Chevy’s, ten or fifteen variations of “cowboy grill,” half a dozen “Italian fusion” places… They all serve pre-prepared food not much better than any fast-food joint, just on a plate and with a waitron with exactly 13 pieces of flair. Just can’t shake the canned, assembly-line, gosh you must be here to have FUN bullshit on top of the mediocre food. Gimme a mom and pop joint where the food might be good or bad, but made on the premises, served by a waitress who might be a grump or a sweetie but knows her job, and for a check that’s appropriate to the whole experience. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/34 "2014-04-06T22:12:20Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > The company has agreed to do the right thing and cancel support for these miserable idiots. Ha Good that they listened to the pushback and belatedly did the right thing. Next time they should be more diligent about who they’re giving money to. A small but noisy antivax group supported by the NAA (Age of Autism) originally was heavily promoting eating at Chili’s on Monday, but [has taken brief note](http://www.ageofautism.com) of Chili’s decision to cancel the event and now thinks people should contact the chain every time an autistic child wanders off and experiences harm (because of course it will be Chili’s fault). \*I suspect that the AoA link will soon be updated to feature a much more prominent rant about Chili’s “betrayal”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/35 "2014-04-06T22:46:22Z")
I bet someone in corporate giving or community relations is getting fired over this. I assume they wanted to do support a cause that helps autistic children and thought they were steering well clear of the controversial aspects of autism and were fooled by this group’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/36 "2014-04-06T23:18:26Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Next time they should be more diligent about who they’re giving money to. There’s the North American Man/Boy Love Association. I’m not exactly sure what their program is but it sounds something like the Boy Scouts so it must be okay. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/37 "2014-04-07T01:41:23Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > The company has agreed to do the right thing and cancel support for these miserable idiots. Ha. > > From the company’s Facebook page: > > [Chili's Grill & Bar](https://www.facebook.com/Chilis/posts/10152088076238214) Glad to hear they got a clue. Shame they needed that much help in doing so, but glad the clue-by-4 finally made enough of an impression. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/38 "2014-04-07T01:42:56Z")
I got an email today informing me that they canceled the event due to feed back. (See **LavenderBlue** ’s post) At the time, I thought to myself: “Why in the world would they do that?” Now I know why. Geez! What a screw up. I’m giving Chili’s the benefit of the doubt on this one and say somebody in PR fucked up in a big way. Because really, the only people who believe this crap are die hard Whole Foods fanatics\* and celebrities. \*Not saying if you like WFs yo9u’re an anti-vaxer, but rather, if you’re an anti-vaxer you’re probably a WFs fanatic. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/39 "2014-04-07T03:18:50Z")
Good for them. I’m still not going there tomorrow, but good for them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424/40 "2014-04-07T13:25:40Z")
Maybe I’ll go there today to thank them for not doing this stupid-ass thing. I actually _like_ their food. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-eat-at-chilis-on-monday/685424.md?page=3)