Company Case Study

The name of the company I am doing research on is Applebees International Inc. Its ticker symbol is APPB and is traded publically on NASDAQ. Applebees' home page is located at http://www.applebees.com. It competes primarily in the eating places category, and secondarily in the patent owners and lessors category according to the Lexisnexis database. Their main business activities include making sure that there is a local bar & grill in even the most remotely located suburbs in the nation. It is the largest casual dining chain with about 1,950 locations worldwide. They feature a variety of food items to cover all dietary needs, and are well known for their appetizers.

Applebees' board of directors is comprised of 14 members including the chairman Lloyd L. Hill. The CEO of the company is David L. Goebel. Applebees International currently employs approximately 32,600 people. Its current stock price on the NASDAQ market is currently at $25.21 per share.

Applebees International's website does not contain a mission statement, however upon further research one was found at a leading franchise operator, which is expected to withhold and up-stand Applebees values and beliefs. According to Doherty Enterprises, whose franchise owner, Ed Doherty, won Applebee's International Franchisee of the Year Award two consecutive years in 2001 and 2002, their vision is to "Cooperate and collaborate for the good of the team, its members and the company. Treat each other with dignity, fairness and respect. Create an inclusive workplace that celebrates the individuality of our team members and neighborhoods. Foster open communication in all directions with candor and effective feedback."

Applebees, being a full service restaurant and nationally located has many competitors. According to LexisNexis, it's two main competitors include Brinker International, and Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc. Brinker's main franchises include Chili's Restaurants, Macaroni Grille, and On The Border. Brinker is the number two restaurant franchiser in the world. They own over 1,540 locations between the Chili's and Macaroni Grille chains. Applebees' other competitor is Calrson Restaurants Worldwide Inc. Carlson is the main franchiser of T.G.I Friday's restaurants, another local bar and grill that's located across the United States and overseas as well. They operate and franchises over 800 Friday's restaurants worldwide