Applebee's

From Free net encyclopedia

Applebee’s International, Inc. Template:NASDAQ is a U.S. company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. It is the largest chain of casual dining restaurants in the country, with over 1500 restaurants across the United States. The headquarters is located in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Applebee's chain was started by T.J. and Bill 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 Co. in 1983. W.R. Grace and Co. later sold the restaurants, now known as Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, to private investors and the company eventually went public. It currently trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market under APPB.

Applebee's features casual dining serving standard American cuisine. The interiors of Applebee's restaurants are usually decorated with memorabilia from sports, entertainment, transportation, and comic books but always include items of local interest as well to help convey their neighborhood theme. From 9pm (10pm in certain locations) til closing, Applebees' feature half-priced appetizers and drinks, a ploy which continues to draw patrons well into the night.

Applebee's has recently begun international expansion with restaurants in nine countries. Their catchphrase is "Eatin' good in the neighborhood."

As of 2005, Applebee's started offering carside-to-go service which allows people to get the food from the car. The advertising slogan for this service is "It's not fast food, it's Applebee's food fast."

Applebees is often referred to as "Crapplebees" by individuals who do not like its food.

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