Chili's tests barbecue items

Chili’s Grill & Bar is testing several “Slow Smoked BBQ” menu items, according to a recent analyst report, as the chain’s 18-month-old “kitchen of the future” program begins to emerge.

Brad Ludington, a securities analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., wrote in a research note last week that the casual-dining chain is testing six barbecue dishes through Feb. 7 at nine restaurants in Ohio and Michigan. He said the items being tested include a