BJ’s Restaurants is quietly putting together one of the more consistent runs in casual dining right now.
Same-store sales rose 2.4 percent in the first quarter, driven largely by a 2.2 percent increase in traffic, marking the company’s seventh consecutive period of transaction growth. The chain also continued to outperform Black Box casual dining benchmarks by roughly 120 basis points on sales and close to 400 basis points on traffic.
Profit has now grown for six straight quarters. Restaurant-level operating profit reached $57.2 million, up 2.8 percent year-over-year, with margins holding at 16 percent. Adjusted EBITDA margin climbed to 10.5 percent, up 30 basis points from the same period last year.
BJ’s posted those results despite what CEO Lyle Tick described as a volatile quarter, including about 70 basis points of weather-related headwinds.
Still, one of the quarter’s biggest moments worked in its favor.
“Valentine’s Day performance was exceptional,” Tick said during the company’s Q1 earnings call. “Approximately half of our restaurants set new daily sales records, while 14 set weekly records, reinforcing our strength in the social splurge occasion.”
READ MORE:
Why BJ’s is Betting on Dine-In Traffic (and Pizookies) to Drive Growth—Not Bigger Checks
Lyle Tick is Cautiously Optimistic About BJ’s Comeback Era
BJ’s CEO Lyle Tick is Reigniting the Brand’s Original Spark
That “social splurge” positioning has become a central part of 219-unit BJ’s approach—leaning into group occasions, celebrations, and casual gatherings with a broad menu designed to flex across different visit types.
Some of the company’s recent product moves are starting to show up in the numbers. Beverage sales, which have been uneven across the industry, stabilized in the quarter as BJ’s leaned into nonalcoholic options, larger-format beers, and a seasonal Sapporo collaboration that tapped into demand for lighter, lower-alcohol styles.
Menu changes are also beginning to carry more weight. A revamped chicken sandwich tested well and is set for a systemwide rollout in the third quarter. A new Wagyu burger is moving from limited-time offer to a permanent spot on the menu, giving BJ’s a higher-end option within its burger lineup.
“Eighteen-plus months into my journey at BJ’s, we have a clear road map, have made material progress in building stronger foundations,” Tick said. “While there’s still a significant amount of work and opportunity ahead, we have made tangible progress across several areas.”
Much of that progress has centered on reworking the menu, particularly in categories that can drive frequency. Since launching the all-American Smashburger last June, BJ’s burger category has generated roughly 30 percent more sales. Its revamped pizza platform has also gained traction, with sales up about 20 percent and early signs that it’s helping bring guests back more often.
Tick said seasonal Pizookies and the Pizookie Meal Deal also continue to resonate, especially with younger diners, helping drive both traffic and dessert attachment while reinforcing BJ’s value positioning.
At the same time, the company has been refining how it markets those products. BJ’s delivered its Q1 results with about 20 percent less media spend year-over-year, shifting more dollars into digital channels, social engagement, and word-of-mouth efforts tied to new menu items and value messaging. Despite the pullback, traffic continued to grow.
Tick said the brand’s recent performance has been driven primarily by guest counts rather than pricing. Over the past several quarters, BJ’s has brought in younger diners, increased visit frequency, and improved its standing within casual dining.
“As we look ahead, we will continue to build on the drivers of success to date while moving to further balance the model where traffic, as well as average check and mix carry weight, over time,” he said.
Part of that shift will come through more structured menu pricing. The Wagyu burger, for example, sits above the Smashburger as a premium option, giving guests a clear step-up choice. BJ’s is also testing a higher-tier version of its Pizookie Meal Deal to give frequent guests a way to trade up without losing the value core of the offer.
The chain’s turnaround isn’t just about food. Tick pointed to operational improvements and culture work happening behind the scenes, including gains in guest satisfaction and staffing stability. Net Promoter Score has improved by about 10 percent since Q3 of 2024. Both hourly and management turnover have fallen to levels well below industry benchmarks, too.
Looking ahead, BJ’s plans to continue layering in menu updates and testing new categories while also building out its development pipeline. Two new restaurants are scheduled to open later this year in Buckeye, Arizona, and Joliet, Illinois, both featuring an updated prototype.
Near-term pressures remain. The company expects commodity inflation to peak in the second quarter, which could push cost of sales slightly higher. BJ’s said it plans to offset that through menu mix changes and pricing actions in the back half of the year.
For now, the focus remains on maintaining momentum.
“We are, however, still in the early innings, and the vast majority of our opportunities still lie ahead of us,” Tick said.
