Applebee's facts for kids
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An Applebee's in Griffin, Georgia
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Trade name
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Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Casual dining |
| Founded | November 19, 1980 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Founders | Bill Palmer T. J. Palmer |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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1,787 (December 31, 2019) |
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Areas served
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United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Brazil, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, India |
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Key people
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Tony Moralejo (President) Stephen Bulgarelli (Chief Culinary Officer) |
| Products | American cuisine |
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Number of employees
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28,000 (2013) |
| Parent | Dine Brands (2007–present) |
Applebee's Restaurants LLC. is an American company. It creates, sells, and runs the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurant chain. Applebee's is known for its relaxed, "casual dining" style. They serve popular American dishes. These include salads, chicken, pasta, burgers, and their special "riblets."
Contents
History
How Applebee's Started (1980-2006)
The Applebee's restaurant chain was started by Bill and T. J. Palmer in July 1980. They wanted to create a restaurant that felt like a friendly neighborhood spot. It would offer good food and service at fair prices. They first thought of names like "Appleby," "Cinnamon's," and "Pepper's." Finally, they chose "Applebee's."
Their first restaurant opened on November 19, 1980, in Decatur, Georgia. It was first called "T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs." A few years later, they opened a second location near Atlanta, Georgia. In May 1983, they sold the company to W. R. Grace and Company. Bill Palmer became the president of the Applebee's Division. He helped the company grow from a small business to a big franchise system.
In 1986, the restaurant's name changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar. In 1988, Applebee's International, Inc., became the company that sells franchises. This happened when Abe Gustin and John Hamra bought the rights to Applebee's. In 1989, Applebee's opened its 100th restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.
During the 1990s, Applebee's became one of the biggest sit-down restaurant chains in the United States. It started selling shares to the public in November 1991. By 1998, Applebee's had opened its 1000th restaurant.
Applebee's Joins IHOP (2007-Present)
On July 16, 2007, IHOP Corp. announced it would buy Applebee's International for about $2.1 billion. This deal was completed on November 29, 2007. After the purchase, IHOP Corp. changed its name to Dine Equity. The new company became the largest full-service restaurant company in the world. It had more than 3,250 locations. A main goal was to make Applebee's popular again. They also wanted most locations to be run by franchisees.
In 2017, DineEquity announced that Applebee's would close between 105 and 135 locations. This was because sales had gone down.
Later in 2017, Applebee's started focusing on cheap cocktails. They offered a $1 margarita called the "Dollarita" and $1 Long Island iced teas. These low-priced drinks were meant to attract customers. Once customers came in, they would often buy higher-priced food. This strategy helped bring more people to the restaurants. It also helped the company's finances improve.
As of December 31, 2019, there were 1,787 Applebee's restaurants. They were in the United States and 15 other countries. Most of these were run by franchisees. By December 26, 2022, the number of U.S. locations had gone down to 1,586.
In March 2024, Dine Brands said it was looking into opening restaurants that combine both Applebee’s and IHOP. They had already tried this successfully in other countries. The CEO said these combined restaurants could make twice as much money as single-brand restaurants.
Advertising and Promotions
Applebee's has used different ways to advertise over the years. In 2007, the comedian Wanda Sykes voiced a new mascot, the Applebee's Apple. The slogan was "Together is good." In 2008, they changed the slogan to "It's a whole new neighborhood." In 2009, it changed again to "There's no place like the neighborhood."
From 2012 to 2016, Applebee's had ads about fresh ingredients and new dishes. These ads were narrated by Jason Sudeikis. The slogan was "See you tomorrow."
In 2012, Applebee's worked with the country music group Zac Brown Band. They created a "Thank You Movement" for Veteran's Day to honor U.S. military members. The band's song "Chicken Fried" was also used in an Applebee's commercial.
In late 2017, Applebee's brought back its famous slogan from the early 2000s: "Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood." In 2022, Applebee's spent $177.4 million on advertising.
In August 2021, Applebee's brought back its Oreo Cookie Shake. This was after removing it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shake and the restaurant were mentioned in Walker Hayes' song "Fancy Like." This song was then used in a new Applebee's commercial.
In January 2024, Applebee's introduced the "Date Night Pass." For $300, the card gave holders 52 date nights from February 1, 2024, to January 21, 2025. It allowed them to spend $30 on food and non-alcoholic drinks each time. This pass was created to make eating out more affordable. It showed that Applebee's wants to be a place where people can eat without spending too much.
See also
In Spanish: Applebee's para niños
