Experts say that Chili’s decision to slash its menu by 40% is a smart move for a company that, like other casual dining restaurants, needs something to separate itself from the competition.

Chili’s, a restaurant chain that’s part of Brinker International Inc. EAT, +2.21% , said Friday that on Sept. 18, menus nationwide will be reduced to 75 items, down from 125 appetizers, entrees, cocktails and more, the total reached in January. The chain launched in 1975 with a 25-item menu that included burgers, beer and margaritas. The new, reduced menu will give the chain the room to focus on its core menu of burgers, ribs and fajitas, the company said.

“Over the years, like many bar and grill chains, Chili’s chased consumer trends, expanded the menu and tried to be all things to all guests, therefore compromising execution and resulting in a fuzzy food reputation,” Chili’s said in a statement.

The restaurant industry has been in a slump, most recently recording its sixth consecutive quarter of traffic declines according to data from The NPD Group. Traffic at casual dining restaurants is down 3% for the year ending June 2017.

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“The casual dining segment as a whole is losing market share, suffering declines in sales and traffic,” said Pat Cobe, senior editor, menu analyst at Technomic, a data and analytics provider for the food service industry. “Much of that is due to the sameness of the menus at concepts like Applebee’s, TGIFridays and Chili’s. By paring down its menu and focusing on core items and best sellers that built Chili’s brand identity, Chili’s is differentiating itself from the pack.”

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Applebee’s is part of the DineEquity Inc. DIN, -3.92% portfolio.

Bonnie Riggs, NPD Group restaurant industry analyst, agrees there is a plague of monotony across casual dining.

“Walking into one is like walking into any one of them,” she told MarketWatch. “Everybody’s got the same thing, the menu has gotten bigger and bigger, and it’s become cumbersome and confusing, especially for boomers.”

The demographic issues at many casual dining chains came up on the most recent DineEquity call.

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“Over the past few years, the brand set out to reposition or reinvent Applebee’s as a modern bar and grill in overt pursuit of a more youthful and affluent demographic with a more independent or even sophisticated dining mind-set, including a clear pendulum swing towards millennials,” he said, according to a FactSet transcript, saying it has moved the company away from its “middle America roots.”

“While we certainly hope to extend our reach, we can’t alienate boomers or Gen Xers in the process,” he said.

Riggs says that, for Chili’s, its menu reduction will bring the menu down to a manageable size while focusing on what customers come back for, even if items like burgers are common.

Chili’s is an NPD client.

“You can find a burger, ribs, and quesadillas anywhere, but when you do it really well, that’s the reason consumers visit Chili’s,” she said.

Experts also agree that the menu reduction is a way to cut costs and reduce food waste.

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“With large variability in the cost of various proteins and the difficulty of raising prices to your customers in this low-inflation environment, it makes sense for restaurant groups to refocus their menus on higher margin, more popular items,” said Greg Wank, partner and leader of Anchin, Block & Anchin’s food and beverage industry practice. Anchin, Block & Anchin is an accounting and advisory firm.

But Wank is concerned that the new menu, though smaller, is filled with things that diners are shying away from.

“Focusing on burgers, ribs and fajitas does not sound like they are following the trend in healthier eating,” he said.