When Chili's late owner Norman Brinker was rechristening his company in the early '90s, he wanted a ticker symbol that would reflect his growing restaurant empire. Then-president and CEO Ron McDougall led the selection effort, enlisting ad agencies, an external corporate identity firm, and an internal contest. Of all the three-letter combinations available, EAT won out as the obvious choice.
As with Strategic Hotels' symbol, a Brinker spokesperson said the company chose the ticker because it was alphabetically high on listings while still relating to its core business.
They may not be the hottest stocks, but they are the most reliable.
