At a Glance
About Applebee's
Applebee's is a food service franchise available to qualified franchisees. Prospective owners evaluate quick-service and casual dining concepts like Applebee's on startup cost, ongoing fees, and the strength of franchisor support.
Opening a Applebee's franchise calls for an estimated total investment of $5,000–$25,000. That figure includes an initial franchise fee of $10,000, along with costs such as equipment, buildout, signage, initial inventory, and working capital.
Applebee's includes a financial performance representation (Item 19) in its current FDD, meaning the franchisor discloses figures on unit-level sales or earnings. Reviewing Item 19 alongside validation calls with existing franchisees is the best way to gauge realistic performance.
Franchat tracks Applebee's's disclosure data and makes the latest FDD available so you can compare it against other food service opportunities.
Financial Performance (Item 19)
Applebee's Item 19 discloses historical Gross Sales for 1,351 traditional franchised restaurants (excluding express concepts and Dual Branded Restaurants) for the 12-month period ending December 28, 2025, broken out by U.S. Census region. System-wide annualized average Gross Sales was $2,954,522 (median $2,822,904), ranging from a low of $1,053,693 to a high of $10,150,710, with 600 restaurants (44%) exceeding the average. Regional averages ranged from $2,450,367 (South) to $3,830,089 (Northeast); the data is unaudited and based on franchisee royalty reporting.
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Applebee's FDD
Request the latest Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for Applebee's.