The original name was a mouthful: "T. J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs." That was what Bill and T. J. Palmer hung over the door when they opened their first restaurant in Decatur, Georgia, on 19 November 1980. The Palmers had a clear thesis, to build an affordable, full-service neighborhood restaurant that sat just below the casual-dining mainstays in price while offering a warm, familiar place for a sit-down meal and a drink without much fuss. That neighborhood-bar-and-grill identity, eventually formalized in the tagline "Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood," became the backbone of the brand as it standardized on the shorter Applebee's name and pushed hard into franchising. The model proved enormously scalable, and after the concept was sold and developed by franchise operators through the 1980s it grew into one of the largest casual-dining chains in the world. With well over a thousand locations spanning the United States and reaching into numerous international markets, its menu of burgers, ribs, sizzling fajitas, appetizer samplers and value-driven combo deals, frequently promoted through two-for-one and limited-time bar specials, made it a default suburban gathering spot for families, after-work crowds and late-night diners. In 2007 Applebee's was acquired by IHOP's parent company, and the two brands now sit together under Dine Brands Global, headquartered in the Los Angeles area, which oversees an almost entirely franchised system. Over the decades the chain has reinvented itself repeatedly, leaning into low-priced cocktail promotions, remodels and viral value deals to draw budget-conscious guests back through the doors. Through ownership changes, menu overhauls and shifting tastes, Applebee's has remained one of the most recognizable names in American dining, a brand that started with a single Georgia storefront and an idea about the neighborhood restaurant and grew into a global grill-and-bar institution still anchoring shopping centers and main streets across the country.

Address: ,

United States

Telephone: (818) 240-1600

Website: https://www.applebees.com

Established: 19/11/1980