The Staggering Amount Of Mozzarella This Iconic Chili's Appetizer Uses Every Year

From pizza to popcorn to potatoes, everything is better with cheese. Americans eat about 42 pounds of cheese per person per year, according to Statista. Gouda grief. And Chili's (a favorite hangout of Selena Gomez) definitely makes a hearty contribution to the country's cheese intake. The chain goes through 65 million pounds of mozzarella annually, primarily in its mozzarella sticks. That's more than the weight of the Statue of Liberty. 

So why does Chili's use 32,500 tons of cheese a year? Chili's started moving a lot more cheese starting in 2024, when a TikToker posted a video of himself eating a mozzarella stick at a Chili's location and pulling a long, stretchy string of cheese from his mouth. That video went viral and got at least 4 million views.

It also launched a mozzarella stick craze, where everyone was doing copycat videos of their own, with countless "cheese pull" posts taking over social media. And suddenly, no one could get enough of Chili's mozzarella sticks. Never underestimate the power of cheese.

Chili's has had its share of rises and falls over the past decades and is no stranger to rebound tales. But Chili's seems to really be riding the crest of a wave right now, thanks in part to that famous TikTok video.

In the past few years, the Chili's Triple Dipper combo platter, which mozzarella sticks are a part of, went from a barely ordered flop to a top seller, now accounting for approximately 16% of everything that Chili's sells, according to Fast Company. In fact, the chain sold more than 29 million orders of the Triple Dipper in 2024 alone (via FSR). Overall, sales at Chili's have gone up 31%, and about 34% more people are now coming through the doors than they were in 2023. Plus, the chain's cheese usage went from 12 million pounds in 2022 to the 65 million pounds Chili's currently melts each year.

Although the cheesy TikTok video boosted the popularity of the restaurant's mozzarella sticks and helped put Chili's in the spotlight, it wasn't the only factor in bringing Chili's back to big-cheese status as a dining chain. Chili's has also done considerable work, introducing many improvements. For example, Chili's pared down its menu so staff can focus on and perfect remaining menu items. The chain has also worked to increase employee staffing and training and renovate older restaurants, with the goal of giving guests a more enjoyable dining experience. Chili's prioritizes value, keeping its prices affordable and winning over customers from fast food restaurants. It has also initiated a solid marketing plan to attract more customers. And all of that, along with a trending video, are paying off for Chili's.