(LOOTPRESS) – In a battle of battered cheese, two of America’s most recognizable restaurant chains have taken their beef — or in this case, cheese — to the digital streets. The great mozzarella stick smackdown of 2025 is officially underway, and it’s as melty, messy, and mildly tragic as you’d hope.
It all started when TGI Fridays, currently in the middle of a glow-up after a rough 2024 (read: closures, bankruptcy, and an existential crisis), tried to assert dominance on X (formerly Twitter) by declaring mozzarella stick superiority.
“Somebody tell 🌶️ to stay in their lane,” Fridays posted. “Y’all are not mozzarella stick people. We are. That’s it. That’s the tweet.”
Chili’s, never one to skip a spicy comeback, clapped back by quoting the post and writing, “@ us next time… Also, we honestly didn’t know you were still open. Congrats!”
Cue the internet collectively losing its mozzarella-coated mind.
One follower summed it up best: “OMG, I think I just witnessed a murder.”
Another added, “I can’t remember the last time I saw a TGI Fridays — except in the frozen aisle next to the Bagel Bites.”
Chili’s, reveling in the chaos, simply responded: “ooooop.”
The spicy exchange sparked a full-blown loyalty war among followers, many of whom immediately declared their allegiance based solely on which restaurant made them laugh harder — and which one still had a working ice machine, probably.
“They’ll never have the Triple Dipper,” one fan wrote to Chili’s. “And for that, they will envy you forever.”
Chili’s replied: “They can never achieve Triple Dipper excellence.”
Meanwhile, TGI Fridays, refusing to take the L silently, posted a passive-aggressive subtweet: “Is the cheese pull challenge accepted or nah?? 😴😴😴” — bold emoji choice for a brand that’s been asleep at the wheel for, like, a decade.
As fans egged them on, one asked, “@Chilis?” to which Fridays replied, “We’re waiting too…”
Spoiler alert: Chili’s is too busy microwaving another Triple Dipper to play.
While the internet feasted on the drama, FOX Business attempted to reach out to both chains for comment. Both ghosted, presumably because they were too busy logging into burner accounts to continue the fight anonymously.
Behind the scenes, the mozzarella brawl arrives at a delicate time for TGI Fridays, which is trying to rebrand after a not-so-fun 2024 that included dozens of closures, a bankruptcy filing, and a last-ditch effort to save itself by selling off nearly all its corporate locations. The chain is now fully franchised and being led (again) by former CEO Ray Blanchette, the mozzarella messiah himself.
With a new menu, a sassier social media voice, and fewer stores than most suburban Dunkin’ Donuts districts, TGI Fridays is fighting to stay relevant. Meanwhile, Chili’s is out here throwing zingers and appetizers with the confidence of a restaurant that still has its booths full on a Tuesday.
No official winner has been declared yet, but if we’re judging on internet burn points alone? Chili’s may have just deep-fried the competition.
Stay tuned — and maybe grab a snack. Preferably something with cheese.
