The Untold Truth Of Applebee’s

The Untold Truth Of Applebee’s

Untold Truth Of Applebee’s: Applebee’s calls itself a “Neighborhood Bar and Grill,” and with more than a thousand places around the world, there’s a good chance there’s one close to you.

The Untold Truth Of Applebee's

The restaurant chain is so popular that it has been in movies like Talladega Nights, Couple’s Retreat, Hall Pass, and Why Him.

It has also been mentioned in songs by Drake, Brad Paisley, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the members of the band LMFAO have eaten there.

But there are still a lot of things about Applebee’s that you might not know.

The company is a lot older than you might think, and it has gone through a lot of changes over the years, from name changes to big acquisitions.

You might think it’s just another restaurant, but there’s more to the story, as there is with most companies.

What is Applebee’s Club? How safe is Applebee’s food? What’s going on with the Dollarita?

The answers to these questions tell the story of a restaurant company that has been successful for a long time but has also been through some hard times.

If you’re looking to satisfy your hunger without breaking the bank, Applebee’s menu prices are a fantastic option. This is the untold truth of Applebee’s.

Applebee’s has been open for 40 years

Applebee’s is a restaurant that you can find in mall parking lots and hotel parking lots. Even though it seems like a modern staple, this restaurant has been around for 40 years.

Applebee's has been open for 40 years

Bill and TJ Palmer opened their first restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1980. This was the start of their business.

Since then, it has been sold more than once. In 1983, the two people sold their idea for a restaurant to W.R. Grace and Company.

In 1989, they went public and began selling shares of their stock on the market. Applebee’s focus on being a “neighborhood” restaurant made it stand out from other chain restaurants.

Franchise managers could choose what to put on their menus, but all of the restaurants had to serve the chain’s famous riblets, fajitas, and apple margaritas.

This way, the food could be made to suit the tastes of the locals. They were also told to make their restaurants look like they were part of the community and to help out with local causes and fund-raising events.

After 40 years, Applebee’s is still a strong chain restaurant, even though it has had to close some sites in recent years.

In fact, it had a bit of a comeback in 2018.

There are a lot more Applebee’s locations than you think

Applebee’s tries to be a local restaurant, and there’s a good chance there’s one near you. That’s because there are now almost 2,000 Applebee’s restaurants all over the world and in the United States.

Applebee's locations than you think

In the 1980s, the restaurant started out small, but it grew slowly and steadily until it had 100 locations by the end of the decade.

Four years later, in 1994, there were 500 of them, and by 1998, that number had doubled to 1,000.

As of 2018, the chain had 1,693 restaurants in the U.S., of which 69 were company-owned and 1,624 were franchises. There were also 144 places in other countries.

If you’re traveling and want some riblets or an apple cocktail, you could go to an Applebee’s in Brazil, Greece, Indonesia, Lebanon, China, Egypt, Qatar, or one of the other 15 countries where they’re open.

The company could also be a choice for people looking for a new job, since it employs almost 28,000 people around the world.

There might be plastic in the food served at Applebee’s

Tender grilled riblets. A tangy cocktail. Broccoli wrapped in plastic and cooked potatoes that have gone bad?

plastic in the food served at Applebee's

Two of these things are different from the others, but a writer who went undercover at Applebee’s to find out what goes into their food says that all of them are sold there.

First, Tracie McMillan, author of The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields, and the Dinner Table, said that she had no official food safety training when she started working at Applebee’s.

McMillan said it seemed like her coworkers didn’t know what they were doing either. For example, she was once told to heat up a tray of mashed potatoes that had been out of date for two days so that it could be served to customers.

She told them about her worries, but all they said was, “You’re going to see a lot of things here.”

Another problem was that the side foods came in small containers that were already measured out. Then, they were mixed with a sauce, put in a plastic bag, and heated in the microwave.

After being heated, the broccoli would be given with pieces of plastic from the bag on top of it.

McMillan says that if you want to avoid any of these possibly dangerous foods, you should eat something from the grill.

“Burgers, steaks, and fish are industrial meats that are defrosted and cooked,” she says, so it’s easy to tell if they’re being done right or not. She also says the french fries are good.

There’s a way to eat cheap at Applebee’s

You can’t always eat out and save money at the same time. Applebee’s keeps things affordable, though, with a wide range of entrees that cost less than $15 and appetizers that cost less than $11.

There's a way to eat cheap at Applebee's

But if you really want to save money, you should go to the Applebee’s near you after 9 p.m.

on weeknights or after 10 p.m. on weekends. That’s because most of them have a late-night happy hour where you can get starters for half price, adult drinks for less, and sometimes even $1 cocktails.

Some Applebee’s may also have a happy hour in the late afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m.

At your local Applebee’s, you might be able to get boneless wings, mozzarella sticks, and spinach and artichoke dip for happy hour rates.

If you can’t stay up late enough to take advantage of the late night deal or leave work early enough for the afternoon happy hour, you might be interested in their 2 meals for $20 (price may change by location).

With this deal, you can get two main dishes and one starter for just $20. That’s a pretty good price for a restaurant meal for two people.

There are onion rings and boneless wings as appetizers, and sirloin steak, chicken strips, riblets, pasta, and more are available as main dishes.

IHOP bought Applebee’s for $2.1 billion

Applebee’s has been bought and sold many times over the years. They’re not new to buying up other chains.

IHOP bought Applebee's for $2.1 billion

Over time, the company has bought smaller chains like Rio Bravo Cantina, sold those smaller chains (Rio Bravo was sold to Chevy’s in 1999), and been sold themselves.

But in 2007, IHOP Corp. bought the company for $2.1 billion, making it the largest sale in the company’s history.

When the two restaurants joined forces, they became the world’s biggest full-service food company.

IHOP Corp. changed its name to DineEquity, Inc. after the sale. It is now called Dine Brands Global, Inc.

Dine Brands Global, Inc. runs more than 3,700 restaurants in 18 countries and is in charge of franchising both food chains.

Applebee’s was bought by IHOP, which is thought to be one of the biggest food sales in the past 20 years.

Even though both chains have had problems recently, it looks like Applebee’s is at least getting better.

Dine Brands Global said in 2017 that they were closing 100 Applebee’s stores and 20 or more IHOP locations because sales had gone down at both chains.

But Applebee’s sales went up by 5.5% in 2018 after their parent company got a new CEO and changed parts of their menu and how they hire people.

Some Applebee’s turn into wild night clubs after 10 pm

Applebee’s is open late, and their late-night happy hour is a big draw. But in some Florida towns, going to your local bar and grill is even more exciting because of Club Applebee’s, or Club ‘Bee’s for short.

Applebee's turn into wild night clubs after 10 pm

In the early 2010s, some Applebee’s in Florida and other southern states started turning into loud bars called “Club Applebee’s” after 10 p.m., with music, dancing, and drinks until 2 a.m.

About 100 Applebee’s stores in the south used to change into Club Applebee’s at night, but now it looks like most Club Applebee’s are in Florida.

There are regular dance nights at these places, as well as other events like singing nights and blacklight parties.

People start dancing on the bar, drinks are given in plastic cups instead of glass, DJs play dance music, and disco balls and flashing lights light up the restaurants as the night goes on.

Club Applebee’s isn’t run by corporate. Instead, it seems to be something that each franchisee can decide to do at their own site.

If you live in Florida, you can use their website to find a “Club ‘Bee’s” near you.

Applebee’s doesn’t share any of their recipes

If you’ve ever loved something on a restaurant’s menu, you probably tried to figure out how to make it at home.

Applebee's doesn't share any of their recipes

It’s fun to try to make your favorite restaurant recipes at home, whether you’re trying to make a KFC chicken copycat recipe with the right mix of 11 herbs and spices or trying to hack some Chipotle knockoff recipes to bring to work so you can save money at lunch.

If there isn’t an Applebee’s close and you’re craving their spinach and artichoke dip or boneless wings, you might be out of luck.

That’s because the business is known for keeping their recipes a secret. Most of the time, online Applebee’s recipes are fakes or just efforts by fans to make their favorite dishes at home.

So far as we know, the only time the restaurant has officially shared one of its recipes was in 1997, when an Applebee’s manager in South Hill, Washington, talked about how they make their Asian chicken salad, minus the recipe for the salad dressing,

which some might say is what makes the dish so special. He suggested that you buy the sauce at the Applebee’s near you.

Applebee’s has won awards for being a great employer

Food turnover is an issue. From 2015 to 2017, 81.9 percent of restaurants’ staff were replaced, according to the BLS. Others in the restaurant industry claim the number is 150 percent or higher.

Untold Truth Of Applebee's

Applebee’s has high turnover too. 146% of employees quit in 2000. They’ve tried various methods to reduce turnover and retain more employees. In 2004, their turnover fell to 84%.

“Gamification” lets staff earn points and prizes for doing well, and it seems to be working.

Employee treatment has won awards. The Nation’s Restaurant News Excellence in Retention Award, People Report Heart of the Workplace Award (for firms that “make a difference in the lives of their employees and their communities”), and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Great Place to Work Award are examples.

for “Applebee’s creative implementation of new competition, recognition, and rewards programs to significantly reduce hourly and management turnover.”

Applebee’s sources humane eggs and pork

Applebee’s might serve mashed potatoes that are too old and veggies with plastic flakes on it, but when it comes to eggs and pork, they do a much better job of serving food they can be proud of.

Untold Truth Of Applebee's

The company that owns Applebee’s and IHOP said in 2013 that it would stop buying pork from farms who use gestation crates for any of its more than 3,500 restaurants.

They promised that the company would stop using gestation crate pork completely by 2020.

They said that they wanted to use “ingredients that are produced and sourced as responsibly and sustainably as possible.”

In 2008, the business started to use more cage-free eggs, but it wasn’t until 2016 that they said both Applebee’s and IHOP would be cage-free for all eggs by 2025.

They said that the move was made because of both what customers wanted and the company’s “commitment to animal welfare.” Why does it take so long to switch?

Farmers need time to adapt to the growing demand for cage-free eggs so they can stop using battery cages, which have been illegal in the European Union since 2013.

Applebee’s isn’t the only big restaurant that has stopped keeping animals in cages in the past few years.

They are changing how they get their eggs, just like Taco Bell, Sonic Drive-In, and Denny’s. This makes us wonder if cage-free eggs will soon be the rule.

The name Applebee’s was picked out of a phone book

How do you choose a name for a restaurant? The answer was easy for Bill and TJ Palmer, who came up with the idea for Applebee’s: they just looked in the phone book.

Untold Truth Of Applebee's

At first, they were going to call their diner Appleby, which they found in the phone book. But the name they picked had been taken by someone else just two weeks before.

Cinnamon’s and Pepper’s were two other names they thought about, but both were already taken by other places. Instead, they chose Applebee’s, which was a slightly changed version of their original choice.

But before it was just called Applebee’s, the chain was called T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles & Elixirs.

It used to be designed like an old-time drugstore, but over time, the restaurant changed its style to that of a neighborhood bar and grill.

When Bill and his wife TJ had a fight, they sold the business to W.R. Grace and Co. In 1986, six years after the first T.J.

Applebee’s Rx for Edibles & Elixirs opened, the company changed the name to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar.

Their $1 margaritas may have saved Applebee’s

Applebee’s had a rough year in 2017. In 2017, the company closed 99 restaurants, and they planned to close another 60 to 80 restaurants in 2018.

Untold Truth Of Applebee's

The brand president said that part of the problem was that they were having trouble getting millennials to buy their products.

In September 2017, everything started to change for the better. Their parent business got a new CEO, and a month later, Applebee’s came out with the Dollarita, a $1 margarita.

Even though it seems like a gimmick, the Dollarita is what turned the diner around in 2018.

Sales went up by 5.5%, and the success of the Dollarita made the company so excited that they started selling other limited-time drinks for between $1 and $3 each month.

After the drink came out, Applebee’s grew for four quarters in a row.

“Dollarita turned everything around,” says CEO Steve Joyce.Between September and October, Applebee’s sales went up by 13 points.

At first, not all franchised restaurants wanted to add the dollar drink to their menus because they were afraid that people would only come in for cheap drinks and not order food.

However, Joyce says that “98% of the people who came in and ordered food also ordered drinks.” those, asked for food.” People came for the $1 drinks and bought food to go with them.

This was the first time in years that Applebee’s sales went through the roof.

The menu used to include quail and gumbo

Applebee’s used to offer more than burgers, steak, riblets, chicken tenders, and appetizers.

Untold Truth Of Applebee's

When it was called T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, one newspaper reported it boasted “menu items ranging from munchies to steak and quail.”

Applebee’s sells gumbo and 1980s-favorite quiche. The chain allowed managers to customize the menu to local tastes.

Some Texas restaurants provided chicken-fried steak, while Boston eateries served seafood gumbo (seafood and Boston go together, although we’re not sure why they chose Louisiana’s gumbo).

Today, Applebee’s doesn’t serve gumbo or dove. Today, they provide steak, ribs, fajitas, pub appetizers, and chicken entrees.

FAQs About The Untold Truth Of Applebee’s

What is Applebee’s?

Applebee’s is a popular American restaurant chain that offers a variety of casual dining options.

When was Applebee’s founded?

Applebee’s was founded in 1980.

Where can I find Applebee’s restaurants?

Applebee’s has numerous locations across the United States and in several other countries.

What type of food does Applebee’s serve?

Applebee’s serves a wide range of American cuisine, including burgers, steaks, salads, seafood, and appetizers.

Are there vegetarian or vegan options at Applebee’s?

Yes, Applebee’s offers a selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes to cater to different dietary preferences.

Does Applebee’s offer any gluten-free options?

Yes, Applebee’s has a gluten-sensitive menu that includes dishes suitable for individuals with gluten intolerance.

Does Applebee’s have a kids’ menu?

Yes, Applebee’s provides a kids’ menu with child-friendly meal options.

Does Applebee’s offer any discounts or promotions?

Applebee’s frequently runs promotions and offers discounts, such as happy hour specials and limited-time deals.

Can I order Applebee’s food for takeout or delivery?

Yes, Applebee’s offers takeout and delivery services, allowing you to enjoy their food from the comfort of your home.

Are there any allergen information or nutritional facts available for Applebee’s menu items?

Yes, Applebee’s provides allergen information and nutritional facts for their menu items, which can be found on their official website.

Does Applebee’s offer catering services for events or parties?

Yes, Applebee’s offers catering services for various occasions, including parties, corporate events, and gatherings.

Are reservations required at Applebee’s?

Reservations are not typically required at Applebee’s, as they primarily operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Does Applebee’s have a loyalty program?

Yes, Applebee’s has a loyalty program called “Applebee’s Rewards,” which allows customers to earn points and receive exclusive offers.

Does Applebee’s support any charitable initiatives?

Applebee’s is involved in various charitable initiatives and community outreach programs to give back to the communities they serve.

Can I find nutritional information and calorie counts for Applebee’s menu items?

Yes, Applebee’s provides nutritional information and calorie counts for their menu items, helping customers make informed choices about their meals.

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