Applebee’s Near Me Now
For those looking for a reasonably priced and casual American style meal, Applebee’s can be a great option. With more than 2,033 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, the odds of finding a restaurant near your neighborhood are greater than ever.
Are you interested in finding an Applebee’s restaurant near you? Simply browse Applebee’s near me on the map below and find a comprehensive list of Applebee’s locations near you. Need a bit more information on this beloved American chain? Read on for facts, trivia, and history on this brand!
Applebee’s Near Me Now – Find it on the Map
Applebee’s Near Me – Applebee’s Trivia
When was Applebee’s restaurant founded?
Many of us consider Applebee’s to be a fairly modern chain, with many locations being recent additions to our local neighborhoods. Consider these facts as you search Applebee’s near me. The Applebee’s chain of restaurants was initially founded by Bill and T.J. Palmer, who initially opened their first restaurant, T.J. Applebee’s RX for Edibles and Elixirs in Decator, Georgia back in 1980. The restaurant was an immediate success, which lead the pair to open a second restaurant soon after in 1983. After the success of their restaurants, the duo sold their company to the W.R. Grace and Company. As part of the agreed upon terms, Bill Palmer was named the president of the Applebee’s division of the company, an indirect subsidiary of W.R. Grace and Company. Under those conditions, Palmer was tasked with guiding the Applebee’s name from its humble restaurant beginnings to a full fledged franchise. He became an Applebee’s franchisee back in 1985 and today still owns more than three dozen Appplebee’s locations. After the success of the Applebee’s franchises, Palmer changed the name to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar in 1986. The name was chosen to reflect Palmers’ original idea that the restaurant was a place people could call their own and feel at home in. In 1988, the restaurant’s franchiser changed hands to Abe Gustin and John Hamra who purchased the rights from W.R. Grace.
Applebee’s is a comforting neighborhood staple for many individuals!
True or false: The idea for Applebee’s was inspired by a visit to another restaurant.
This fact is true! As you search Applebee’s near me, you may be wondering just how the Palmers initially became inspired to open Applebee’s. Like so many now successful chains, the idea was hardly a new one. In the late 1970s, one of the biggest and most successful restaurant chains in the Atlanta area was an establishment called Billy’s. Bill and T.J. Palmer, who had been interested in owning a restaurant that served food and drinks, visited a location and were immediately slack jawed by just how hopping it was. Wanting in on the success, the pair took out a $20,000 loan and decided to purchase the worst performing Billy’s franchise. After quickly turning the sales around, Billy’s management took the restaurant back from the duo with and refunded the couple’s money with a bad check. The Palmers were devastated and frankly a bit on edge. Despite their bad luck, they decided to venture out on their own. Nowadays, Billy’s restaurant has largely been forgotten while Applebee’s remains a household name all over the United States.
Applebee’s Near Me Now – Applebee’s Facts
The Original Applebee’s Theme
When you walk into an Applebee’s today, you’re not met by much in terms of a theme. The atmosphere most resembles a cozy neighborhood bar and not much else. The founders designed the restaurant this way on purpose. Applebee’s was never supposed to feel like you were stepping inside of a chain. Instead, it was designed to feel like you were simply walking into your local mom and pop bar down the street. Strangely enough, the Palmers didn’t always take an anti- theme stance. The first Applebee’s location ever bore a pretty iconic drugstore theme. This intitail restaurant even had an old wooden drugstore Indian holding cigars and a sign in the window that advertised “prescriptions.” Another sign read “Candy Apples 5 cents.” The windows of the very first Applebee’s were stained glass and even red “RX for Edibles and Elixirs.” As you search Applebee’s near me, consider just how this restaurant chain has evolved since its humble beginnings as a drug store themed neighborhood restaurant.
The Original Applebee’s Menu
Applebee’s is known for its all American bar bood options. While you’ll always be met with plenty of options at an Applebee’s franchise, you typically won’t be tasked with reading through a menu of strange or foreign sounding items. In fact, you’ll typically be choosing between steaks, pasta dishes, burgers, and chicken dishes. Strangely enough, this was not always the case at Applebee’s. When the restaurant first started, just about any popular 80’s finger food was fair game on the menu. This included fried mushrooms, chicken fingers, potato skins, fries, onion rings, and nachos with chili, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Today the nachos are still one of Applebee’s most popular menu items. While those items are largely normal and to be expected at many chains like Applebee’s, the original menu also included quiche, quail, and gumbo. The gumbo was a top seller, but quiche and quail failed to find any popularity amongst diners. As you search Applebee’s near me, think about the menu item you’re most likely to order.
