Why Is It Called Applebee’s?
Because the founders picked it out of a phone book. Their first choice was taken, so they changed the spelling. There was never a Mr. Applebee.
So the name has nothing to do with apples and nothing to do with a founder. It was a surname that sounded friendly, respelled to get around a trademark.
The phone book name
The Palmers wanted a name that sounded warm and familiar, the kind of place you would call by its first name. Rather than invent one, they went through a phone book looking for a surname that fit.
Appleby stood out. The problem was that Appleby’s was already a registered name. They also tried options including Cinnamon’s and Peppers, and both were taken too.
T.J. Palmer’s fix was simple. Change the spelling to Applebee’s and add more words around it, which made the name distinct enough to use.
The strange original name
The first restaurant was T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles and Elixirs. The Rx is the symbol for a medical prescription, and the restaurant played on an old fashioned drugstore theme, with food and drinks presented as remedies.
It was a mouthful, and it did not last. Once the concept was sold and began to franchise, the new owners wanted something that explained what the restaurant was.
Timeline of the name and the chain
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Bill and T.J. Palmer open T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles and Elixirs in Decatur, Georgia |
| 1983 | The Palmers sell the concept to W.R. Grace and Company |
| 1986 | Renamed Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, with the first franchise in Kansas City |
| 1988 | Franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra buy Applebee’s from W.R. Grace |
| 1989 | The company goes public and opens its 100th restaurant |
| 1998 | 1,000th restaurant opens in Aurora, Colorado |
| 2007 | IHOP buys Applebee’s |
The Neighborhood Grill and Bar part of the name was the key change. It told people exactly what to expect, a casual local spot for food and drinks, and it set up the long running Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood slogan introduced in 2000.
Who owns Applebee’s now?
Applebee’s has been part of the same company as IHOP since 2007, when IHOP bought it for about 2.1 billion dollars. The parent is now called Dine Brands Global, and every Applebee’s has been franchise owned since 2015. That story is in who owns IHOP.
The chain has also been closing some restaurants in recent years, covered in why Applebee’s is closing restaurants. Current prices are on the Applebee’s menu.
Related Questions
Why is it called Applebee’s?
The founders, Bill and T.J. Palmer, picked the name Appleby’s out of a phone book because it sounded friendly. That spelling was already registered, so they changed it to Applebee’s. There was never a real person named Applebee behind the chain.
What was Applebee’s original name?
T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles and Elixirs. The first restaurant opened in Decatur, Georgia in 1980 with a drugstore theme, and the name changed to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar in 1986.
Was there a real Mr. Applebee?
No. The name was chosen from a phone book for how it sounded, then respelled to avoid an existing trademark. It is not named after a founder or anyone connected to the company.
Who founded Applebee’s?
Bill and T.J. Palmer, who opened the first restaurant in Decatur, Georgia in 1980. They sold the concept to W.R. Grace and Company in 1983, and franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra bought it in 1988.
Where was the first Applebee’s?
Decatur, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. It opened in 1980 as T.J. Applebee’s Rx for Edibles and Elixirs.
When did Applebee’s get its current name?
In 1986, when it became Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar as it began to franchise. The Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood slogan followed in 2000.
More on Applebee’s
About this guide. USA Food Menu is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with Applebee’s or Dine Brands Global. History details come from the company’s published timeline and food press. Current prices and calories are on the Applebee’s menu.
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