Chili’s servers are begging customers to chill on the triple dipper trend, but it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Chili’s triple dipper is exactly what is exactly what it sounds like. You get to select three appetizers—including their wings (boneless or bone-in), chips, sliders, southwestern eggrolls, fried mozzarella, and cheese fries—and three dips to dunk ’em in.
While prices vary based on location (though it usually seems to be under $20), people generally consider it to be a good deal for the amount of food you’re getting.
In a viral video posted by Zoey Lynn (@_.999lynn), two Chili’s servers were seen rocking back and forth on the floor while holding their heads in their hands, seemingly burnt out and desperate for their shifts to be over.
“How we feel about the triple dipper trend,” the text overlay on the video read as the words “I don’t know who to slap,” played over it.
And we’re also curious about what sparked this trend.
The Chili’s triple dipper trend has well over 30 million views on TikTok across dozens of videos, from popular creators like @dylan.mcarthur to everyday people doing mukbangs in their cars.
It’s unclear what started the triple-dipper frenzy, as the deal has been around for ages. The food deal has gotten so popular that Zoey Lynn said her location now gets a line out the door with people coming just for that.
“That’ll be 1 hour and 47 minutes of your times these fry cooks and four fryers cant keep up,” Zoey Lynn explained in the comment section.
Over the last year, some consumers have turned their back on fast food options like McDonald’s and Wendy’s in favor of fast-casual spots like Chili’s and Applebee’s.
One woman said she now prefers to go to Chili’s instead of Wendy’s because it costs the same, but she gets a bigger bang for her buck. Another said that in her area, Applebee’s and McDonald’s are just about the same price, and a true “cheap” food option no longer exists. And one fast-food insider said that current prices are isolating their target, working-class audience.
See, fast-food prices aren’t what they used to be. Instead of being able to get something cheap at a fast food joint, customers have noticed a surge in prices for a meal that isn’t the best quality.
A Finance Buzz study found that in the last decade, menu prices rose between 39% and 100% on average—that’s well above the rate of inflation during that time.
@_.999lynn there should not be a line out the door at chilis💔
♬ original sound
Of all the fast food spots, McDonald’s has had the most dramatic price increases, with menu prices doubling on their most popular items. Popeye’s, Taco Bell, and Chipotle closely followed behind.
A good chunk of the people in Zoey Lynn’s comment section said they knew about the triple dipper deal long before it went viral and are also annoyed at its new found popularity.
“I love the triple dipper but once I saw it go viral I havent been to chilis bc I knowww it’s gonna be packed. I’ll wait until the hype dies down to start going again,” a commenter wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Zoey Lynn for comment.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
