Applebee's

UAE: Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants to return

Dine Brands International has announced plans to open multiple Applebee’s Neighbourhood Grill + Bar and IHOP restaurants in the UAE. The first location is scheduled to open in Dubai later this year through an agreement with IHOP franchisee Mohamed Makawi. Tony Moralejo, president, international, Dine Brands Global, said: “Mohamed, as a long-time IHOP operator in the US, is an ideal franchisee to lead the new openings of Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants in the UAE market. His passion for our brands, cultural understanding of the Middle East market, paired with his focus on creating exemplary guest experiences, position him to succeed in this new endeavour. “We have seen success in this market through our ghost kitchen operations and are excited to be re-establishing brick-and-mortar locations for our two world-renowned brands. The UAE is one of the fastest developing nations in the world, and the country’s increasing tourism business and consumer demand for casual and family dining restaurants reaffirm it as an important growth market for Dine.” Makawi said: “For over 20 years, I’ve had the pleasure of developing the IHOP brand in the US. With this new venture, I look forward to gaining the support of the communities we plan to serve internationally. “We’re going to hire a local team and are confident guests in the UAE will love joining us in our restaurants for IHOP’s world-famous pancakes and familiar comfort foods, as well as Applebee’s craveable American fare.” Dine Brands International said it continues to place emphasis on growth in markets, including North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Based in California, Dine Brands Global operates about 3,440 restaurants in 16 countries and approximately 350 franchisees and is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world.

United Arab Emirates · 27 Jan 2022

Applebee’s opens 22nd branch in Saudi Arabia

APPLEBEE’S has opened its 22nd branch in Saudi Arabia and 7th in Jeddah at Thaliya Street.The new branch has already attracted a number of visitors because of its ambiance, which is in tune with current trends. Tarfeeh (franchisee of Applebee’s Saudi Arabia) was established in 1996 and is a fully owned company of SEDCO (Saudi Economic Development Company), a Saudi business conglomerate with a global presence. Tarfeeh runs three international restaurant chains — Applebee’s (world’s largest American casual dining chain), Romano’s Macaroni Grill (US based Italian casual dining), and Ocean Basket (largest seafood chain of South Africa). Tarfeeh also has one local brand, called China Gate, which serves Chinese food and is a fast-casual dining restaurant. Applebee’s opened its first branch in Saudi Arabia in 2003. One of the major goals was to provide a unique experience to the customers when it comes to American cuisine. It serves different kinds of sizzling steaks, fajitas and a variety of dishes for children, in addition to a selection of desserts and beverages. All Applebee’s restaurants have a friendly and family-fun atmosphere with exciting menus to suit all ages and groups with great emphasis on freshness and quality. Visitors can spend quality time with their family and friends or have social gatherings. Applebee’s restaurants have recently launched a campaign for ribs lovers. It also has lunch and dinner offers throughout the week and special meals for children. — SG

Saudi Arabia · 14 Aug 2018

Applebee’s opens its 23rd restaurant in Saudi Arabia

APPLEBEE’S, the quintessential American neighborhood grill where there’s always a reason to celebrate, celebrated a milestone of its own when it marked the 15th year in Saudi Arabia with the opening of its newest location at Exit 5 in Riyadh last April 16. The new restaurant is the 23rd Applebee’s in KSA since franchisee Arabian Entertainment opened the first Applebee’s Grill in Jeddah in 2003. Located at King Abdulaziz Road, Exit 5 in Riyadh, this new restaurant features the latest “Celebration” design and is expected to bring another 50 new jobs to the local economy. To mark this special milestone, Steve Joyce, chief executive officer of Applebee’s parent company Dine Brands Global Inc., flew in from Los Angeles to help officials from Arabian Entertainment cut the ribbon marking the restaurant’s official opening. “Applebee’s has been bringing people together over great food since the first location opened in Atlanta in 1980, and it has been exciting to see this experience embraced in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and throughout the world,” said Joyce. “I am especially glad to be here to celebrate the opening of our 23rd restaurant and our fifteenth year of partnership with our terrific franchisee Arabian Entertainment,” Joyce continued. “They have done a tremendous job of bringing the Applebee’s experience to guests throughout KSA, with a respect for local tastes and customs while remaining true to the both the brand and our standards of excellence. I look forward to many more years of success and growth in the country.” “Fifteen years ago, we brought guests in KSA the very best American Grill experience when we opened our first Applebee’s location, and our growth over the past decade and a half shows that guests have truly embraced Applebee’s as their own neighborhood grill” said Ahmed Marashde, chief executive officer, Arabian Entertainment. — SG

Saudi Arabia · 22 Apr 2018

Applebee's is closing up to 135 locations across the US after ditching its 'Middle America roots' to win over millennials

Applebee's locations are disappearing across the US. On Thursday, executives announced that the chain plans to close between 105 and 135 locations this year. "We are long overdue in rationalizing the size of our system and closing poorly performing restaurants," Dine Equity CEO Richard Dahl said in a call with investors. In March, Applebee's said that it planned to close 40 to 60 locations in 2017. In 2016, Applebee's closed 46 locations. Dine Equity, which also owns IHOP, reported that its net income in the second quarter was $20.9 million, down from $26.4 million in the same quarter last year. Applebee's same-store sales decreased 7% in the quarter. Executives blamed difficulties in part on Applebee's attempt to win over millennial diners. "Over the past few years, the brand's set out to reposition or reinvent Applebee's as a modern bar and grill in overt pursuit of a more youthful and affluent demographic with a more independent or even sophisticated dining mindset, including a clear pendulum swing towards millennials," John Cywinski, Applebee's brand president, said Thursday. "In my perspective, this pursuit led to decisions that created confusion among core guests, as Applebee's intentionally drifted from its what I’ll call its Middle America roots and its abundant value position," he continued. "While we certainly hope to extend our reach, we can’t alienate Boomers or Gen-Xers in the process." In 2016, Applebee's launched what it called a "comprehensive business transformation" in an attempt to modernize the chain. Changes such as installing fire grills in all 2,000-plus locations across the US — a $40 million investment by the chain’s franchisees — and redesigning locations were supposed to distinguish Applebee's from other casual dining chains. Moving foward, Cywinski said that Applebee's will focus on "routine traditionalists" who actually enjoy casual dining chains and have favorite menu items, as well as "value seekers" who are looking for deals at sit-down restaurants. Restaurants slated for closure are either in areas with declining traffic, such as restaurants near once bustling but now dead malls, or locations with low sales that offer customers a "substandard experience," according to executives. Applebee's isn't the only casual dining chain struggling to win over customers. Brands such as TGI Fridays and Ruby Tuesday have faced sales slumps and dozens of restaurant closures in recent months.

United States of America · 10 Aug 2017

Delicious news for Applebee’s lovers in Jeddah

Applebee’s, a casual dining chain, has opened a branch on Jeddah’s Prince Sultan Street.The new branch has already attracted a number of visitors because of its ambiance which is in tune with current trends. While its lighting units and modern furniture add to the restaurant’s aesthetic quotient, the branch’s innovative look reinforces TARFEEH’s (franchisee of Applebee’s Saudi Arabia) motto. TARFEEH was established in 1996 and is a fully owned company of SEDCO (Saudi Economic Development Company), a Saudi business conglomerate with a global presence. TARFEEH runs three international restaurant chains — Applebee’s, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, a US restaurant chain within the premium Italian casual cuisine, and Ocean Basket, a seafood restaurant chain from South Africa. TARFEEH also has one local brand, called China Gate, which serves Chinese food and is a fast-casual dining restaurant. Applebee’s has over 20 branches in Saudi Arabia, more than any other brand of casual dining restaurants in the Kingdom. Applebee’s opened its first branch in Saudi Arabia in 2003. One of the major goals was to provide a unique experience to the customers when it comes to American cuisine. It serves different kinds of sizzling steaks, fajitas and a variety of dishes for children, in addition to a selection of desserts and beverages. Applebee’s restaurants have recently launched a campaign for ribs lovers. It also has lunch and dinner offers throughout the week and special meals for children. During Ramadan, Applebee’s will have iftar offers including dates, soups, starters and main courses at affordable prices to suit all customers.

Saudi Arabia · 7 May 2017

New Store Opening

سبب ولا أروع للاحتفال مع أبل بيز الجديد كلياً الان في البدع A great reason to celebrate the exciting new opening of Applebee's with a brand new experience at Al Bidaa #celebrateeverything #احتفل_دائما

Kuwait · 28 Sep 2016

حلّة جديدة لـ «آبل بيز»... في «الأفنيوز»

قامت سلسلة مطاعم «آبل بيز» الكويت، التابعة لمجموعة «كوت الغذائية»، بتجديد فرعها في مجمّع «الأفنيوز» خلال شهر رمضان المبارك، وجرى **حفل الافتتاح في أوّل أيام عيد الفطر السعيد، حيث فاجأ المطعم زبائنه وزوّار المجمّع بديكوره الجديد وقد حضرت شخصيّتا التفاحة والنحلة للاحتفال مع الزبائن، ولا سيما مع الأطفال. وأعجِبَ زوّار مجمّع «الأفنيوز» بالحلّة الجديدة لمطعم «آبل بيز»، وفي أول أيام عيد الفطر السعيد عاد المطعم ليعجّ بالزبائن المتلهّفين لتناول أشهى الوجبات الأميركية والاستمتاع بأروع الأجواء. وكان بانتظار الجميع، ولا سيّما الأطفال، مفاجآت سارّة حيث تمكّنوا من اللعب مع شخصيتي التفاحة والنحلة المفضلتين لديهم والتقاط الصور معهما. وتأتي هذه الخطوة في إطار سعي «آبل بيز» الدائم إلى التطوّر والتحسين والبقاء عند حسن ظنّ زبائنه الكرام وتوفير أجواء مريحة وممتعة في آنٍ معاً في جميع فروعه. فعند دخول المطعم يلقى الزبون أحسن استقبال وعند اطّلاعه على قائمة الطعام يحتار لشدّة الخيارات التي وُضِعَت بشكل مدروس لتناسب جميع الأذواق والأعمار، كما أن «آبل بيز» لم ينسَ تخصيص ركن من مطبخه للوجبات التي لا تحمل أكثر من 550 سعرة حرارية. إلى جانب ذلك، فإن مجموعة «كوت الغذائية»، التي تدير أيضاً مطاعم «برجر كنج» و«تاكو بيل» و«بيتزاهت» و«برج الحمام» و«كبابجي» و«أيامي» و«سكوب أكون»، حريصة أشدّ الحرص على توفير الأفضل لزبائنها لناحية جودة الخدمة ونوعية المكونات ومستوى النظافة ومواقع مطاعمها الاستراتيجية. وتجدر الإشارة إلى أن «آبل بيز» هو أحد أكبر وأشهر المطاعم الأميركية، تأسس العام 1980 من قبل شركة «آبل بيز» العالمية في الولايات المتحدة الأميركية ومقرها الرئيسي في ولاية ميزوري. أما في الكويت، فتأسس «آبل بيز» العام 1999 بإدارة مجموعة «كوت الغذائية»، ومنذ تأسيسه بدأ يلقى رواجاً واستحساناً لدى جميع سكّان الكويت، وكجزء من الخطوات الاستراتيجية للشركة تم افتتاح خمسة مواقع لهذا المطعم الأميركي المميّز في الكويت، من بينها فرعه في «الأفنيوز» الذي افتُتِحَ العام 2008 وأصبح وجهة معروفة لكلّ من يدخل هذا المجمّع.

Kuwait · 25 Aug 2013

Applebee's opens in Kuwait

It took Rick Yameen three years to get his first Applebee's International Inc. franchise open, but it finally happened. Yameen, head of Apple Middle East, opened an Applebee's restaurant in Kuwait in late March. The project took so long, Yameen said, because the site had to be purchased from the Kuwaiti government. Another struggle was finding enough help to run the restaurant. He hired servers from the Philippines, Egypt, Lebanon and the Czech Republic because, as Yameen said, "Kuwaitis do not work in service jobs." The restaurant in Kuwait is the first of 15 to 17 restaurants Yameen hopes to open over the next four years in Egypt, Lebanon and Bahrain. His said the next restaurant will open in Cairo in August. Thanks, Easter Bunny Sales of Easter baskets, bonnets and dresses helped same-store sales in Kansas City to jump 4.3 percent in March. Local retailers fared better than those around the nation, which averaged a modest 2.1 percent increase for the month. TeleCheck Retail Index reported that national sales have been affected by the events in Yugoslavia, and the fact that three days of pre-Easter spending occurred in April. The Midwest led the nation with a 3.2 percent gain, followed by the Southeast with a 2.8 percent increase, and the Southwest (which includes Kansas City on TeleCheck's map) with a gain of 2.5 percent. Other cities in the region posted the following gains in same-store sales in March: St. Louis, 4.1 percent; Oklahoma City, 1.1 percent; Dallas/Ft. Worth, 0.8 percent; and Chicago, 3.9 percent. Heard on the street: ? AMC Entertainment Inc. hiked up movie ticket prices above $8 in the Los Angeles area last week, making AMC the highest-priced theater chain in that city. The hike comes after AMC told investors that first-quarter earnings would be "drastically lower" than expected. ? Newly named American Identity has put out its first-ever consolidated catalog featuring Swingster and K-Products merchandise. Company officials hoped the 112-page catalog would be more convenient for customers than having separate catalogs. ? The Lee Co. is hawking its Lee Dungarees to young consumers again this summer with an 11-city tour with ESPN's X Games, including a stop in late May at Mission Center. ? Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. is opening two new tire and service centers in Johnson County in late April. One center is located in Olathe at the intersection of 135th Street and Black Bob Road. The other is in Overland Park at 7050 W. 115th St., just west of the new Sprint Corp. campus. With the new centers, Firestone has 22 location in the Kansas City area. Call Amy Trollinger with tips for Check it Out at 421-5900, ext. 214, or by e-mail to atrollinger@amcity.com.

Kuwait · 17 Apr 1999