History of Applebee's in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 5, 2026

Applebee's is an American company operating a large chain of casual dining restaurants known as Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar. The chain focuses on mainstream American cuisine, offering dishes such as salads, chicken, burgers, and their signature riblets. They operate through a franchise model.

July 1980: Applebee's Founded

In July 1980, Bill and T. J. Palmer founded the Applebee's chain with the goal of creating a neighborhood pub-like restaurant offering friendly service and quality food at lower prices. They considered names like "Appleby", "Cinnamon's" and "Pepper's" before deciding on Applebee's.

November 19, 1980: First Applebee's Opens

On November 19, 1980, the first Applebee's location, named T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, opened in Decatur, Georgia.

May 1983: Applebee's Acquired

In May 1983, W. R. Grace and Company acquired Applebee's. As part of the transaction, Bill Palmer became president of the Applebee's Division.

1985: Palmer Becomes Franchisee

In 1985, Bill Palmer, who previously oversaw the Applebee's Division after the acquisition by W. R. Grace and Company, became an Applebee's franchisee.

1986: Name Change

In 1986, the restaurant concept's name was changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar.

1988: Franchise Rights Purchased

In 1988, Kansas City franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra purchased the rights to the Applebee's concept from W. R. Grace, and Applebee's International, Inc. became the franchiser.

1989: 100th Restaurant Opens

In 1989, Applebee's opened its 100th restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.

November 1991: Public Trading Begins

In November 1991, Applebee's, having become one of the largest sit-down restaurant chains in the United States during the 1990s, began trading publicly.

1998: 1000th Restaurant Opens

In 1998, Applebee's opened its 1000th restaurant.

2006: Wage Lawsuit Begins

In 2006, Applebee's and its servers became embroiled in a lawsuit concerning hourly wages. Servers, paid a federal minimum wage of $2.13 per hour as tipped employees, claimed they were required to spend 20% of their time on non-serving labor, for which they should be compensated at the federal non-tipped minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

July 13, 2007: Closing Price Before Acquisition Announcement

On July 13, 2007, Applebee's closing price prior to IHOP Corp's acquisition announcement was used to calculate a premium for shareholders.

July 16, 2007: IHOP Corp. Agrees to Buy Applebee's

On July 16, 2007, IHOP Corp. announced an agreement to buy Applebee's International for approximately $2.1 billion. Applebee's shareholders would receive $25.50 in cash per share, a 4.6% premium to the July 13, 2007 closing price.

November 29, 2007: Acquisition Completed

On November 29, 2007, IHOP Corp. completed its acquisition of Applebee's and was renamed Dine Equity. This made the combined entity the world's largest full-service restaurant company, with over 3,250 locations. A key goal was revitalizing the chain and shifting towards a franchise model.

2007: Wanda Sykes Hired as Mascot Voice

In 2007, as part of Applebee's marketing campaign, Wanda Sykes was hired to voice the chain's new mascot, the Applebee's Apple, appearing in commercials with slogans like "Together is good" and "Get it together, baby!".

February 25, 2008: New Campaign Launched

On February 25, 2008, Applebee's launched a new advertising campaign without the Applebee's Apple character voiced by Wanda Sykes, using the slogan "It's a whole new neighborhood" and both the original and new logos in commercials.

2009: New Slogan Introduced

In 2009, Applebee's changed its slogan to "There's no place like the neighborhood."

September 2012: Judge Rules in Favor of Employees

In September 2012, an Illinois judge ruled in favor of the Applebee's employees in the wage lawsuit that began in 2006, and will evaluate damages at a later date.

2012: Advertising Campaign Begins

In 2012, Applebee's launched an advertising campaign focusing on fresh ingredients and new dishes, narrated by Jason Sudeikis, with the slogan "See you tomorrow."

2012: "Thank You Movement" Campaign

In 2012, Applebee's partnered with the country group Zac Brown Band on a Veteran's Day-themed "Thank You Movement" campaign to honor members of the U.S. military.

2013: Internet Uproar

In 2013, Applebee's faced significant backlash online after a waitress was fired for posting a picture of a customer's receipt containing a rude note about a required gratuity, compounded by the company's poor handling of the situation.

2016: Advertising Campaign Ends

In 2016, Applebee's advertising campaign that started in 2012, narrated by Jason Sudeikis with the slogan "See you tomorrow", ended.

August 11, 2017: Restaurant Closures Announced

On August 11, 2017, DineEquity announced that Applebee's would close between 105 and 135 locations by the end of the year, due to a 7% decrease in same-store sales during the previous quarter.

September 2017: Slogan Returns

In September 2017, Applebee's brought back its famous slogan from the early-to-mid 2000s, "Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood."

2017: Focus on Low-Cost Cocktail Promotions

In 2017, Applebee's increased its focus on promotions involving low-cost cocktails, including the "Dollarita" in October and $1 Long Island iced tea ("L.I.T.s") in December, aiming to upsell customers towards higher-priced food products. Despite some franchisee hesitation, these promotions significantly increased traffic at some locations.

December 31, 2019: Number of Operating Restaurants

As of December 31, 2019, Applebee's had 1,787 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States and 15 other countries, with 69 company-owned and 1,718 franchised.

2020: Bill Palmer Dies

In 2020, Bill Palmer, one of the founders of Applebee's, passed away.

August 2021: Oreo Cookie Shake Restored

In August 2021, Applebee's restored its Oreo Cookie Shake to its menu after having removed it due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chain and beverage had been mentioned in Walker Hayes' song "Fancy Like", which was subsequently featured in a new Applebee's commercial.

February 2022: Advertising Pulled from CNN

In February 2022, Applebee's pulled its advertising from CNN after an inappropriately timed split-screen commercial break featured live footage of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine shown alongside an Applebee's ad.

2022: Advertising Fees

In 2022, Applebee's advertising fees accounted for 177.4 million U.S. dollars.

January 2024: Date Night Pass Introduced

In January 2024, Applebee's introduced the Date Night Pass, a $300 card providing 52 date nights between February 1, 2024, and January 21, 2025, allowing holders to spend $30 on food and non-alcoholic beverages in restaurants or via takeout. The pass, introduced during an inflationary period, was intended to make dining out more affordable.

February 1, 2024: Date Night Pass Activation

On February 1, 2024, Applebee's Date Night Pass, which was introduced in January, was activated, allowing holders to spend $30 on food and non-alcoholic beverages for 52 date nights.

March 2024: Dual-Branded Restaurants Explored

In March 2024, Dine Brands announced they were exploring the launch of Applebee's-IHOP dual-branded restaurants within 12-24 months, following successful prototypes in international markets. These restaurants, the same size as standalone locations, were reported to generate twice the revenue.