A Chili’s Too restaurant notable for its location within the Orlando International Airport is closing at the end of the year, prompting a sentimental tribute from the airport’s own social media staff.
“We know @chilis is a longtime favorite for so many travelers who have taken the ‘stairway to heaven,’” reads an Instagram post from the airport, referring to a nickname given to the Chili’s Too. “Over the years, you’ve eaten countless gallons of queso and more. Now, it’s bittersweet to say goodbye, as Chili’s will close its doors permanently on Dec. 31, 2025.”
As its nickname suggests, the Chili’s Too at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) is located on the uppermost level of Terminal A & B, accessible from an escalator that ascends directly toward the restaurant. Patrons also pass directly underneath a prominent Chili’s logo as they reach the top, the airport’s Instagram post shows.
A spokesperson for MCO also reiterated in an email to SavorNation that this particular Chili’s Too had come into the national spotlight in 2018, after the hosts of “Pardon My Take,” a Barstool Sports podcast, discussed it on the show.
“The hosts repeatedly referenced the restaurant on the show and across social media,” a spokesperson for the airport wrote. “The running joke centered on our airport’s location with the majestic escalator leading to a Chili’s, which they famously nicknamed the ‘stairway to heaven.’
“A big part of the humor was the idea that people would go out of their way to eat there even if they weren’t flying anywhere,” the spokesperson added. “Our airport later embraced the joke as well.”
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Upon the announcement of its impending closure, some of the restaurant’s previous patrons and workers reflected back on their time at the establishment.
“WE HAVE NO CHILIS IN OREGON AND THIS HAS BEEN MY SAVING GRACE ON MY MANY TRIPS TO FLORIDA,” one follower wrote. “I’m officially in mourning.”
“There was a day many years ago where I came with a friend just to eat at this Chili’s and people-watch,” a person on Reddit claimed. “Seeing one of the TSA agents look important while holding a clipboard with blank sheets of paper, and a couple of other TSA bros attempt a fist bump and miss — peak entertainment.”
“Did you know Zepplin wrote ‘Stairway to Heaven’ after eating there on a layover? True story,” another X user joked.
Several other users, meanwhile, claimed they were unaware of the Chili’s altogether, despite traveling through the Orlando International Airport regularly.
“I fly out of MCO about 4x a year and can’t say I ever even noticed there was a Chili’s,” one wrote on Reddit. “I’m crushed.”
A representative for Chili’s referred questions concerning the closure of the restaurant to HMS Host, the franchisee that operates the Chili’s Too at MCO. The company had not responded as of Tuesday.
It’s clear, however, that the Orlando International Airport has been very proud of its “stairway to heaven” Chili’s. In a 2019 exchange on X (then Twitter), the airport defended American culture after a Francophile declared, “France has the Louvre. What does the United States even have?”
“We have an escalator that leads up to a Chili’s,” the airport responded.
