() is a
United States company which develops, franchises, and operates the '''Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar'''
Restaurant Chain . As of Feb. 25,
2007 , there were 1,942 restaurants operating system-wide in 49 states, 16 international countries, and one U.S. territory. Its catch phrase is ''Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood®''.
On July 16, 2007,
IHOP Corp. announced that it agreed to buy Applebee's International for about $2.1 billion.
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The Applebee's chain was started by Bill and T.J. Palmer who opened their first restaurant, T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, in
Atlanta, Georgia in
1980 . After opening their second restaurant the pair sold their company to
W. R. Grace And Company in
1983 . As part of the transaction, Bill Palmer was named president of the Applebee's Division an indirect subsidiary of
W. R. Grace And Company . In that capacity, Palmer guided the operation from its entrepreneurial beginnings to a full-fledged franchise system. He became an Applebee's franchisee in
1985 and today owns more than three dozen Applebee's restaurants.
In
1986 , the name of the concept was changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar to reflect the Palmers' original concept of a place people could call their own.
In
1988 , Applebee's International, Inc. became the restaurant chain's franchisor when Kansas City franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra purchased the rights to the Applebee's concept from W. R. Grace.
Today, with more than 1,800 restaurants, Applebee's is the world's largest casual dining restaurant chain. For each of the past 13 years (1993-2005), Applebee's has opened 100 or more new restaurants. The company estimates the development potential of the Applebee's concept in the United States to be at least 3,000 restaurants. Additionally, the food that Applebee's serves is shipped to the restaurant frozen and is either microwaved or put into an oven. Recently, Applebee's began promoting ads featuring
Tyler Florence , a popular
Chef from the
Food Network .
On
March 22 ,
2007 , Applebee's announced they were closing 24 units in the coming months. This compares to the typical 1-2 units that are typically shuttered. It was announced that 10 of the units were in New England with the remainder in nine other states.
On June 10, 2007, a toddler was served a margarita in a sippy cup by the restaurant manager in Antioch, California (Part of the San Francisco Bay area). The toddler became sick and required medical attention. The incident was labeled an honest mistake because both apple juice and margarita mix were kept in identical containers. The franchise offered to pay for medical costs and to provide free meals. The container problem was also resolved as different containers are being used.
On July 16, 2007,
IHOP Corp. announced that it agreed to buy Applebee's International for about $2.1 billion. Applebee's shareholders would receive $25.50 in cash per share, representing a 4.6 percent premium to the closing price on July 13, 2007. IHOP, which franchises nearly all of its restaurants, said it hoped to employ that strategy with Applebee's. “We believe we have an opportunity to re-energize the brand and get franchisees, employees and guests all sort of thinking about the brand in a different way,” Julia Stewart, IHOP's chairman and chief executive officer, said. “Obviously, we have opportunities to find points of differentiation – things that no one has but Applebee’s – and I think the future is very bright.”
- It was featured in the '' starring Will Ferrell . Not only do characters in the film eat there (and get thrown out) repeatedly, but during the film's climactic final crash scene, the film cuts to a commercial for Applebee's, in a parody of the commercialism of NASCAR . After the ad finishes, the film resumes with the cars still wrecking.
- Often, Applebee's was a spot for Coach Taylor and other characters to eat or meet on the NBC television show '' Friday Night Lights ''.
- The exterior shot of the bar featured in the Cinemax late night Softcore series ''Nightcap'' is actually a side shot of an unknown Applebee's, although the restaurant signage is not seen.
