Chili's Kicks off Colorful Return of Create-A-Pepper Program with All Proceeds Benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®

Rhea-AI Summary

Chili's (NYSE:EAT) has announced the return of its annual Create-A-Pepper program in partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®. Running through September 30, 2025, guests can purchase coloring sheets for donations ranging from $1 to $25, with 100% of proceeds benefiting St. Jude.

The campaign, marking 23 years of partnership, has contributed over $120 million to St. Jude's mission of advancing cancer treatment and research. The program originated in Memphis and has since evolved into a nationwide initiative, with completed artwork being displayed on Chili's restaurant walls to inspire additional participation.

Guests can create their pepper in-restaurant now through September 30 to help St. Jude give every child with cancer a chance.

DALLAS, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Supporting lifesaving efforts during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has never been more colorful or creative as Chili's^® Grill & Bar announces the return of its annual Create-A-Pepper program – continuing its partnership of 23 years with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®. Throughout September, guests can visit their local Chili's to buy a Create-A-Pepper coloring sheet where 100% of the proceeds will go to St. Jude, supporting its mission of advancing treatment and research for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

"Making everyone feel special is at the heart of what it means to work at Chili's, and one of the most impactful ways we do that is through our partnership with St. Jude," said Chili's Chief Marketing Officer George Felix. "Over the past 23 years, our guests and team members have donated more than $120 million to support St. Jude patients and their families. I can't wait to see this year's Create-A-Pepper designs on the walls at Chili's locations across the country this month."

Through the end of September, guests can visit their local Chili's to buy a Create-A-Pepper coloring sheet for a $1, $5, $10 or $25 donation. Every dollar goes straight to St. Jude, advancing research and ensuring that no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. The completed works of art will then adorn Chili's walls for everyone to see, inspiring other Chili's guests to create their own.

"We are immensely grateful to Chili's for 23 years of unwavering fundraising and support, which have helped make hope possible for families of St. Jude," said Samantha Maltin, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "Art is more than a creative outlet— it lines our halls with inspiration, as we use patient artwork during therapy to transform moments of uncertainty into expressions of beauty and strength. Every donation from the Chili's Create-A-Pepper program supports lifesaving, innovative research and treatment by St. Jude as it works to improve childhood cancer survival rates both here and around the world."

Since 2002, Chili's has proudly supported the lifesaving work of St. Jude and has remained dedicated to its mission: Finding Cures. Saving Children.^® The Create-A-Pepper program began when Memphis-area Chili's team members started the first version of the campaign as a unique way to give back to their community, which is also the hometown of St. Jude. Since then, Chili's has led countless fundraising initiatives to help accelerate research and treatment by St. Jude.

To learn more about Create-A-Pepper, please visit chilis.com/st-jude, and to Create-A-Pepper, visit a participating Chili's location near you.

About Chili's^® Grill & Bar  
Hi, welcome to Chili's! A proud leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), Chili's was named Ad Age's 2025 Brand of the Year. Founded in 1975, Chili's is known for serving Big Mouth Burgers^®, Crispy Chicken Crispers^®, and sizzling fajitas, while hand-shaking more margaritas than any other restaurant brand in the United States. Chili's operates 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories with over 70,000 team members. With a purpose to make everyone feel special, Chiliheads take food, drink and service seriously – but not themselves. Chili's was a proud winner at the 2025 MenuMasters Awards for Best New Menu Item for Nashville Hot Mozz, the breakout addition to the social media-famous Triple Dipper^®. For more than 20 years, Chili's has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and has raised more than $120 million for the organization through generous guest and team member donations. Find more information at chilis.com, follow on X or Instagram, like on Facebook, or join Chili's on TikTok. 

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.^® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80% in the United States, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chilis-kicks-off-colorful-return-of-create-a-pepper-program-with-all-proceeds-benefiting-st-jude-childrens-research-hospital-302543932.html

SOURCE Chili's Grill & Bar

FAQ

How much has Chili's (NYSE:EAT) raised for St. Jude through their partnership?

Chili's has raised over $120 million through their 23-year partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

When does Chili's 2025 Create-A-Pepper campaign run?

The Create-A-Pepper campaign runs from September 1-30, 2025 at participating Chili's locations.

How much does it cost to participate in Chili's Create-A-Pepper program?

Guests can purchase Create-A-Pepper coloring sheets for donations of $1, $5, $10, or $25, with 100% of proceeds benefiting St. Jude.

What percentage of Create-A-Pepper donations go to St. Jude?

100% of all proceeds from the Create-A-Pepper program go directly to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

How did Chili's Create-A-Pepper program begin?

The program began when Memphis-area Chili's team members started the first version of the campaign as a way to give back to their local community, which is St. Jude's hometown.