All our brands had impressive holiday results as guests got more comfortable coming together in groups, which helped us deliver a better than expected quarter with positive sales of 17.7% and adjusted earnings per share of $0.71 cents.
We've responded with appropriate pricing actions and with our most recent price increase, our menu price is now up over 4%.
Just last week, when I was out in restaurants, managers were saying that they're where they used to see only two or three applicants for a job and now getting 10 or more.
With this system, we're experiencing a 20 percent retention improvement for new hourly team members.
We're already seeing an average of 15% higher server earnings and significant improvements in guest metrics.
The operators are getting comfortable with it now, and restaurants that have fully adopted are generating 15 to 20 point improvements in guest metrics.
We've ramped up Chili's development plans and currently have in excess of 20 new full size restaurants in the pipeline.
It's Just Wings continues to perform well, and as of this week, Maggiano's Italian Classics is up and running in over 700 restaurants.
For the second quarter of fiscal 2022, Brinker reported $0.71 of adjusted diluted earnings per share, up from $0.35 in last year's second quarter.
Brinker's total revenues were $926 million for the quarter, and our comparable restaurant sales were positive 17.7%.
Chili's comparable restaurant sales were 12.1% for the second quarter.
Their comp sales were negatively impacted approximately 1.5% by Christmas, shifting back into the quarter from Q3 prior year, and close to 0.5% from closing early on Christmas Eve.
This reaction reduced company sales by approximately $4 million.
Maggiano's reported net comp sales for the quarter of a positive 78.1%.
The team has also done a nice job maintaining their elevated carry-out business, which appears to have stickiness in the mid 20% range, even as the other business channels improve.
During the quarter, Chili's inclusive of the virtual brands took several incremental price increases and exited the quarter carrying approximately 3% menu price compared to the prior year.
In addition, as Wyman mentioned, we have taken further pricing actions in January, resulting in Chili's now carrying price of over 4% and Maggiano's adding 5% price with their latest menu rollout.
Brinker increased its consolidated restaurant operating margin to 11% in the second quarter versus 10.7% a year ago.
Food and beverage costs were unfavorable, 120 basis points driven by commodity inflation, partially offset by price.
Labor for the quarter was then favorable 60 basis points versus prior year.
Restaurant expense was favorable 210 basis points year-over-year, as the improved sales performance effectively leverage the fixed cost included in this category.
As we work to further build our sales channels, we should see this leverage dynamic continue, and how balanced the inflationary aspects, and other parts of [Inaudible] Our cash flow for the second quarter remain strong with cash from operating activities of $67 million and EBITDA of $88 million.
Our total funded debt leverage was 2.6 times and our lease adjusted leverage was 3.6 times.

Summary:
All our brands had impressive holiday results as guests got more comfortable coming together in groups, which helped us deliver a better than expected quarter with positive sales of 17.7% and adjusted earnings per share of $0.71 cents.
For the second quarter of fiscal 2022, Brinker reported $0.71 of adjusted diluted earnings per share, up from $0.35 in last year's second quarter.
Brinker's total revenues were $926 million for the quarter, and our comparable restaurant sales were positive 17.7%.
Chili's comparable restaurant sales were 12.1% for the second quarter.