In what may be the best PR move ever, Chili's is opening a Scranton, Pennsylvania branch timed with the 20th Anniversary of the U.S. The Office. For those who have never seen this show that's considered one of the best sitcoms of all time, the connection between Chili's and The Office may seem a little strange, but I know the fans can feel God in this announcement.
The Scranton Chili's is set to open on April 7, just two weeks after the 20th anniversary date of The Office, which NBC first aired on March 24, 2005.
It wasn’t until Season 2 that the popular Tex-Mex chain was a featured off-site location for the Dunder Mifflin employees. Plus, it's a little known The Office fact that the Chili's in the popular NBC sitcom was a fake, recreated in an empty restaurant in LA just for filming. Finally, Chili's is making a Scranton location a reality, and they enlisted some special recruits to help with the ad, which was posted to X from the official Chili's account.
We brought a few friends back to help us celebrate the opening of Chili’s Scranton Branch on April 7th. Oh, and yeah… it’s the only Chili’s in the world that’ll be serving the Awesome Blossom pic.twitter.com/ZwjuogNvtnMarch 26, 2025
If these Chili's patrons and staff look familiar, it’s because they were all part of The Office cast. These folks are all actors who appeared in The Office at one time or another. True superfans can probably name them all, but right off the bat I spot two of the best characters from the NBC hit. Dunder Mifflin CEO David Wallace (Andy Buckley) can be seen bartending in the ad, and VP of Northeast Sales Jan Levison (Melora Hardin) can be seen sensually swaying in a booth as her assistant Hunter serenades her with the famous Chilis’ jingle “baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.”
Jan being obsessed with her assistant Hunter and his terrible music career is one of the best inside jokes in The Office. So is Michael’s love for “That’s what she said” jokes, so I’m glad they were both included in this ad.
Chili's was first featured in two memorable episodes of the sitcom’s sophomore season, including the Season 2 premiere, “The Dundies.” Those who have seen the show probably remember this as the episode where Pam gets extremely drunk at Michael’s after-hours office award show, proclaiming she “feels God in this Chili's tonight” while accepting her trophy. It’s also the episode where she first kisses Jim, the catalyst for their Jim and Pam's epic love story.
At the end of the episode, a manager reveals to the camera crew that Pam is banned from the Chili's. For a while, it was a popular rumor that this was a real life Chili's employee who appeared on screen. This is not true, although Chili's did not miss the chance to invite actor Christopher T. Wood to reprise his role as manager for their Scranton location announcement.
While you won’t see Wood, or any other actors for that matter, at the new Scranton Chili's, you will get to see everything else shown in the video. The new Pennsylvania location will be a time capsule straight out of 2005, with wood paneling, tile tables, the classic blue drink shakers, and Chili's wall art from the 2000s (and as seen in The Office).
Not only that, but the Scranton location, and only this location, will feature the Awesome Blossom on its menu. That's, of course, the popular appetizer from the American restaurant chain, which Michael orders during a business meeting with Tim Meadow’s Christian in Season 2, Episode 7.
This could be you, right down to the baby back ribs jingle! The new opening is sure to attract Office fans from all over the country. Who knows, maybe you’ll see a familiar face from Dunder Mifflin. The real question is, will they let in Pam Beasley?
Of course, if I were Greg Daniels, I’d find a way to work in the iconic pepper-themed restaurant into the upcoming Office spin-off. Maybe this collaboration will motivate him to get production rolling, as I’m still holding out hope for it to appear on the 2025 TV schedule. If the Parks and Rec creator can pull that off, he is a shoo-in for the Busiest Beaver Dundie!
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