RISE - Menu Monitor

Menu Positioning |
Applebee's varied menu features appetizers, entrées, salads, sandwiches and desserts for lunch and dinner. The menu
includes steak, chicken, seafood specials, chili, salads, hamburgers and sandwiches. Popular appetizers include potato skins,
nachos, Buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks. Signature items include Applebee’s Barbecue Pork Riblets, Oriental Chicken
Salad, the House Sirloin, Sizzling Fajitas and Fiesta Lime Chicken. Weight Watchers menu items include Grilled Shrimp
Skewer Salad, Southwest Cobb Salad, Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa and Confetti Chicken. Brunch items range from the
five-layer Italian omelet to French toast sticks. Desserts include Blue Ribbon Brownie, Triple Chocolate Meltdown, bread
pudding and apple pie. Alcoholic beverages are served. A kids’ menu offers chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese,
cheeseburgers and a grilled chicken sandwich. Menu prices range from $3.99–$14.99. Checks average $10.75.
Expansion Plans |
Applebee’s International Inc. plans to slow expansion in 2007 to its lowest growth rate in the past 10 years. The company
plans to open 10 to 15 new restaurants during 2007. (Bizjournals.com 11/3/2006)
Applebee’s International is closing 24 company-owned restaurants, 10 in the New England region and 14 throughout nine
other states. The company decided to close these units after an extensive review to identify these restaurants as not meeting
acceptable levels of return on investment and other key operating metrics. (Business Wire 3/21/07; NRN Daily NewsFax
3/22/07; The Wall Street Journal 3/22/07)
Applebee’s new headquarters is under construction despite the sale of the company to IHOP. The new headquarters will be
located in Lenexa, KS. The project is estimated to cost $45–$50 million and is expected to be completed later this year.
(Bizjournals.com 7/13/07)
Promotion Plans |
Applebee’s selected McCann Erickson as its new creative agency of record, effective immediately. McCann Erickson is known
internationally for its work on ads such as MasterCard’s “Priceless” and Verizon Wireless’s “The Network.” Applebee’s first
order of business with McCann Erickson is to develop a new integrated communications campaign that will launch in the fourth
quarter. (Company Release 7/13/07)
Applebee’s Grill & Bar launched an ad campaign that features a wisecracking apple. The chain is seeking an edgier tack in a
marketing campaign that also extends to redesigns of its logo, menu and uniforms, as well as testing a new building design.
The apple, dubbed the Red Delicious “spokesapple,” is scheduled to premier on October 28. The voice of the apple is
provided by comedienne Wanda Sykes. (NRN Daily NewsFax 10/26/07)
Menu Development |
Applebee’s debuted several new limited time menu items. These are: •Seared Ribeye with Garlic Chili Shrimp—a 12-oz. steak
marinated in Asian soy sauce, topped with plump shrimp and crisp Asian veggies in a red chili sauce •Sicilian Sirloin & Crab-
Topped Shrimp—7-oz. grilled sirloin coated in Italian seasonings, coupled with sautéed shrimp, finished with crab stuffing and
lemon garlic butter •Applebee’s Mixed Seafood Grill—a Parmesan tilapia filet, margarita shrimp skewer and a seared crab
cake •House Sirloin & Grilled Shrimp Skewers—7oz. sirloin matched with grilled shrimp skewers. (Company Release
11/20/06)
Applebee’s added an Italian Chicken & Portobello Sandwich to its menu. The item is prepared with grilled marinated chicken
breast and sautéed portobello mushrooms, topped with a slice of tomato and served on a whole-wheat bun with chunky
marinara sauce and a side of fresh fruit. (Company Release)
Applebee’s has switched to a zero-trans-fat frying oil in all of its 1,800-plus units nationwide. The chain estimates that it will
also begin using trans-fat-free pan and grill oil within a few weeks. Applebee’s is now using a soybean blend oil for frying.
Company executives claim that the new trans-fat-free oil does not take away from the texture or quality of its food. Applebee’s
is currently working with its vendors to replace prepared foods that still contain trans fats. (Nation’s Restaurant News 5/28/07
p6)
Applebee’s is asking customers to design a burger to be added to the chain’s menu next year. The company’s “Big Burger
Showdown” will be judged by Tyler Florence, a Food Network personality and an Applebee’s spokesperson who has
developed menu items for the chain. (NRN Daily NewsFax 6/12/07)
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Technomic believes that its sources of information are reliable, but does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information
published.
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