of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar operates full-service restaurants serving food and alcoholic beverages in a casual dining setting. Franchisees use the brand’s restaurant designs, recipes and operating procedures, with each restaurant governed by a franchise agreement and some operators developing multiple locations under a development agreement.
Headline figures
of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar quick facts
- Is of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar a franchise?
- Yes. of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2025, it reported 1,421 franchised and 59 company-owned outlets (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 54).
- How much does it cost to open an of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar franchise?
- The of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar Franchise Disclosure Document reports separate estimated initial investments by format: $3,870,004–$5,822,933 for tower ii prototype total investment (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 22); $3,192,516–$5,076,178 for celebration prototype total investment (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 22); $616,682–$4,632,445 for dual branded restaurant concept total investment (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 22). These formats are not combined. Each is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- What ongoing fees does of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar charge?
- The disclosed ongoing royalty is 4% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 15). The brand or advertising fund contribution is 4.25% · current (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 15). Other recurring fees are listed in Item 6. Details
- Does of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Yes. The of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 53). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
- How many of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations are there?
- The FDD reports 1,480 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 54). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
- Is of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar a good franchise to buy?
- Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: Item 19 includes financial performance figures; check which locations and period they cover; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1The 2026 FDD (Item 7) estimates opening costs separately by format: $3,870,004 – $5,822,933 (Tower II Prototype total investment); $3,192,516 – $5,076,178 (Celebration Prototype total investment); $616,682 – $4,632,445 (Dual Branded Restaurant Concept total investment); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 covers 6 separate groups: revenue for 419 locations; revenue for 403 locations; revenue for 279 locations; revenue for 419 locations; revenue for 250 locations; revenue for 1,351 locations. They are not combined.
- 3Outlets declined by 30 in 2025, to 1,480 (United States non-traditional venue locations, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar head-to-head
Closest peers in the same subcategory, side by side from reviewed FDD figures. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Benihana National Corp
Eggs Up Grill
IHOP and International House of Pancakes
IHOP International House of PancakesCosts · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Range across 3 single-unit formats
2026 FDD · Item 7
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (3)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose.
- Dual Branded Restaurant Concept total investmentPDF p. 22$616,682 – $4,632,445
- Celebration Prototype total investmentPDF p. 22$3,192,516 – $5,076,178
- Tower II Prototype total investmentPDF p. 22$3,870,004 – $5,822,933
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
- RoyaltyMain ongoing fee
27 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
6 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue · 419 locations
- Who is counted
- Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the South, active and operating as of December 28, 2025; period December 30, 2024 to December 28, 2025.
- Excluded
- Excludes four restaurants operating as express concepts, temporarily closed stores, and all Dual Branded Restaurants (24 during this period).
- Method
- Historical gross sales chart; data submitted for royalty reporting
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue · 403 locations
- Who is counted
- Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the Midwest that were active and operating as of December 28, 2025.
- Excluded
- Excludes four restaurants operating as express concepts, temporarily closed stores, and all Dual Branded Restaurants (24 during this period).
- Method
- Historical gross sales chart; data submitted for royalty reporting
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue · 279 locations
- Who is counted
- Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the Northeast that were active and operating as of December 28, 2025.
- Excluded
- Excludes four restaurants operating as express concepts, temporarily closed stores, and all Dual Branded Restaurants (24 during this period).
- Method
- Historical gross sales chart; data submitted for royalty reporting
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue · 419 locations
- Who is counted
- Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the South that were active and operating as of December 28, 2025.
- Excluded
- Excludes four restaurants operating as express concepts, temporarily closed stores, and all Dual Branded Restaurants (24 during this period).
- Method
- Historical gross sales chart; data submitted for royalty reporting
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue · 250 locations
- Who is counted
- Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the West, active and operating as of December 28, 2025; period December 30, 2024 to December 28, 2025.
- Excluded
- Excludes four restaurants operating as express concepts, temporarily closed stores, and all Dual Branded Restaurants (24 during this period).
- Method
- Historical gross sales chart; data submitted for royalty reporting
Locations counted: not stated in the reviewed record
Revenue · 1,351 locations
- Who is counted
- Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants across all regions, as separately labeled Total in Chart 1, active and operating as of December 28, 2025; period December 30, 2024 to December 28, 2025.
- Excluded
- Excludes four restaurants operating as express concepts, temporarily closed stores, and all Dual Branded Restaurants (24 during this period).
- Method
- Historical gross sales chart; data submitted for royalty reporting
These groups are never combined.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
United States non-traditional venue locations, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of Fiscal years 2023–2025 of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54
Net −65 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero, so the line looks nearly flat; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($616,682 – $5,822,933) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?
Reported units decreased from 1,510 to 1,480 in 2025. What drove the change?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the South, active and operatin… · PDF p. 53
- [2]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the Midwest that were active a… · PDF p. 53
- [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the Northeast that were active… · PDF p. 53
- [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the South that were active and… · PDF p. 53
- [5]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants in the West, active and operating… · PDF p. 53
- [6]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Traditional franchised Applebee’s Restaurants across all regions, as separately… · PDF p. 53
- [7]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 54
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page.
Territory & operations
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cash and cash equivalents | $2,837 |
| 2025 | net income | $45,531 |
| 2025 | net income in cash flows | $45,531 |
| 2025 | cash at end of year | $2,837 |
| 2025 | total assets | $61,545 |
| 2025 | total liabilities | $5,686 |
| 2025 | total member’s equity | $55,859 |
| 2025 | royalties | $70,333 |
| 2025 | total revenue | $145,460 |
| 2025 | dine brands operating cash flows | $89 |
| 2025 | dine brands total assets | $1,738 |
| 2025 | dine brands total liabilities | $2,012 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format and overlapping investment range. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Benihana National CorpEggs Up GrillIHOP and International House of PancakesIHOP International House of Pancakes
The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.
Spitz Radwick Franchising LLCHead-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Reader notes on wording
Our automated check found that these summaries may not match the FDD's exact wording. Read the FDD excerpt itself; it is the authoritative text. Core cost, fee, Item 19 and outlet figures are not affected.
Item 12 · PDF p. 42 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Territory grant and limits
“Under the terms of the Development Agreement, we grant you the right to develop one or more Restaurants within a specified territory (the “Territory”) during one or more “initial development period(s).” However, Non-Traditional Venues (see Item 1) will be excluded from your Territory and may be developed by us or a third party without any participation by or payment to you.”
Note: Supplied quote could not be confirmed on the cited PDF page excerpt.
Item 21 · PDF p. 87 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Total liabilities — Applebee’s Franchisor LLC, 2023
“Total liabilities 3,668 5,744”
Note: The supplied quote could not be matched to a clear year-aligned row on cited PDF page 87.
Item 21 · PDF p. 87 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Total member’s equity — Applebee’s Franchisor LLC, 2023
“Total member’s equity 43,946 37,985”
Note: The supplied quote could not be matched to a clear year-aligned row on cited PDF page 87.
Item 21 · PDF p. 88 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Net income — Applebee’s Franchisor LLC, 2023
“Net income $ 43,953 $ 40,643”
Note: The supplied quote could not be matched to a clear year-aligned row on cited PDF page 88.
Item 21 · PDF p. 90 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Cash at end of year — Applebee’s Franchisor LLC, 2023
“Cash at end of year $ 3,530 $ 1,834”
Note: The supplied quote could not be matched to a clear year-aligned row on cited PDF page 90.
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.
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