The Beginning of the Applebee's Concept
1980: Bill and TJ Palmer open T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs,® in Atlanta, Georgia.
1983: The Palmers sell the Applebee's concept to W.R. Grace and Company.
1985: Bill Palmer, principal owner of Café Ventures, becomes an Applebee's franchisee.
1986: The name is changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar. Abe Gustin and John Hamra of Kansas City open their first Applebee's franchise restaurant in Kansas City.
1988: Abe Gustin and John Hamra purchase the rights to the Applebee's concept from W.R. Grace and Company.
1989: Applebee's International, Inc., (A.I.I.) completes an initial public offering of common stock under the symbol APPB and opens its 100th restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 1990s: A Period of Outstanding Growth
1992: A.I.I. launches another public stock offering. By year-end, there are 250 Applebee's in operation.
1994: Lloyd Hill joins A.I.I. There are more than 500 Applebee's.
1995: A.I.I. acquires Rio Bravo Cantinas (a chain of Mexican casual dining restaurants).
1996: 819 Applebee's restaurants operate in 45 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Germany and the Netherlands.
1997: 960 company and franchise restaurants are open.
1998: Applebee's opens its 1,000th restaurant in Aurora, Colorado. Abe Gustin, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, retires. Julia Stewart joins Applebee's International as President of the domestic division.
1999: A.I.I. sells Rio Bravo restaurants to Chevy's, another fresh-Mex restaurant chain, and has record system-wide sales of $2.35 billion with 1,168 restaurants.
2000 and Beyond: A New Era
2000: Applebee's introduces a new menu and the number of restaurants climbs over 1,250.
2000: Applebee's expands international development by opening restaurants in Latin America and the Middle East.
2001: The number of restaurants climbs to 1,392. Julia Stewart joins IHOP Corp. as their Chief Executive Officer.
2002: The number of restaurants climbs to 1,496.
2002: The Heidi Fund was established, in honor of a Kansas City server, to financially help Applebee's associates who suffer catastrophic life-changing events.
2003: Applebee's celebrates the opening of the 1,500th restaurant in LaGrange, Georgia, owned and operated by Bill Palmer, founder of the first Applebee's restaurant in Atlanta and current Applebee's franchisee.
2004: Applebee's makes a successful partnership by introducing its Weight Watchers® menu. Applebee's gains sales by rolling out Carside To Go pickup service.
2005: Applebee's expands international growth to Ecuador, Brazil and Jordan. Applebee's is recognized by IR Magazine for its excellence in investor relations.
2006: Lloyd Hill announces transition to Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Dave Goebel is named President and Chief Executive Officer. Applebee's franchise partner in Greece, Milomel Hellas A.E., receives a prestigious Superbrands award for excellence in casual dining.
2007: Applebee's opens its first location in China; Applebee's is named one of three finalists for the Gartner High-Performance Workplace (HPW) Excellence Award; Applebee's Services, Inc. is purchased in November by IHOP Corp, led by Julia Stewart, creating the largest full-service restaurant company in the world.
2008: ServSafe Alcohol awards Applebee's the Best Chain Responsible Beverage Alcohol Service Training Program; Applebee's, along with IHOP, becomes part of the DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN) behind the tagline 'Great Franchisees. Great Brands.' Michael J. Archer is appointed president of Applebee's Services, Inc.