Current Events > Applebees "done appealing to millennials" closing up to 135 locations!

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.businessinsider.com/applebees-is-closing-up-to-135-locations-2017-8

80/80

Ihop is also apparently closing multiple locations as well...
---

Fucking millennials!
---

And nothing of value was lost.

I can microwave my food at home tyvm
---

Adapt or die.

Guess they chose the latter.
---

Everytime I see someone blame millennials for something like this I just cringe
---

I heard the story yesterday on NPR (and 2 days ago on the food board).

They mentioned one of the adds they were using to "appeal" to us, something about "we dare you to try the pork whateverfuck challenge." and all I could think is that unless it's free, don't call it a dare you pandering fuckheads.
Also, don't just introduce sriracha and bacon, especially this late to the party, and expect to appeal to younger folk.
And the criticisms were all correct, all of these types of restaurants offer the same exact shit food.
---

damn millennials!
---

last time i went to applebees it took them 20 minutes to bring out our drinks

Gafemage posted...

Ihop is also apparently closing multiple locations as well...

noooooooooo
---

Millennials "done giving a shit about Applebees" as they don't care about the closing of 135 locations!
---

---

Applebees is more than just a restaurant, it is an experience.

When you step through the door of the restaurant your first time, you are transported into a world unlike any other. The low light of the restaurant casts shadows on the knick-knacks adorning the walls, and the translucent hum of the various screens through the restaurant create a sort of ethereal presence in the restaurant.

Right off the bat, you know you are in for a dining experience like no other.

"Welcome to Applebees!" a cheerful host says to you. "How many are in your party?" You hold up two fingers. "Right this way!" She responds. As you walk to your table, you wonder how she can deal with so many customers, yet remain so chipper, but shrug it off as another wonderful mystery caused by the splendor of Applebees.

The waitress takes your drink order and for a moment, your head is spinning. Do you want a soda? Do you want iced tea? You look at the drink menu and you see a litany of alcoholic beverages you have only dreamed about - Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Light...

The waitress offers a helpful suggestion of an Oreo Shake, and you say that sounds great. She asks if you'd like a round of water for the table as well. You smile. This is the kind of attention to detail that you expect from Michelin Star rated restaurants, not a Neighborhood Bar & Grill!

As the waitress goes to fetch your shake, you peruse the menu. The pages are jam-packed with the names of delicacies that you can only imagine. Fiesta Lime Chicken? Shrimp N' Parmesan Sirloin? You shift in your seat; you suddenly feel very self-aware that you do not belong in this restaurant. Your palatte does not feel sophisticated enough for these cuisines, and you worry that you will not do these delicacies justice when you enjoy them.

Just at this moment, the waitress comes to your table and all your fears are dissuaded. You order the Chicken Tenders Platter (a local favorite). You take a sip from your Oreo Shake and breath a sigh of relief as liquified Oreos slide down your throat. You lean back in your booth and relax.

Suddenly, you hear a chorus of heavenly voices rise from behind you. You turn around to see all of the Applebees wait staff coming towards you, singing and clapping their hands. "Happy happy birthday, from Applebees to you," they cheer. "We wish it was our birthday, so we could party too, hey!"

As soon as they arrived, the employees scatter, leaving you to dwell on the beauty of it all; the fact that Applebees treats you with such precise, special attention, the five-star cuisine, the exotic decor, and the fact that the wait staff is so eager to share in your special moments with you.
---

Now everybody's drunk dirtbag uncle will be roaming the streets from 2-10 instead of drinking at Applebee's

This restaurant has a moral responsibility, and they're throwing it away smh
---

Millennials don't have enough money to eat lunch at a sit-down restaurant every day. For most people, there's just enough for rent, budget food (dollar menus or roman noodles) and a smallentertainment fund. As one of the previous posters said, I can microwave my own food at home for a fraction of the price.

You can also go to the store and get exact same stuff for cheaper. Now, they're mad that people are buying their stuff in the frozen foods aisle, instead of eating in and paying out the ass.

Nobody's trying to be a jerk to these guys. People just don't have the money. If you can convince my home owner's office to drop my rent from $1500/mo, then I'll go once a week.
---

UnfairRepresent posted...

Fucking millennials!

---

applebees is a great place to meet lonely suburban moms

i always go after 9 to get half price apps and a few LITs
---

Last time I went to Applebees, there were rats. Also, the food is microwaved
---

--kresnik-- posted...

Millennials don't have enough money to eat lunch at a sit-down restaurant every day. For most people, there's just enough for rent, budget food (dollar menus or roman noodles) and a smallentertainment fund. As one of the previous posters said, I can microwave my own food at home for a fraction of the price.

You can also go to the store and get exact same stuff for cheaper. Now, they're mad that people are buying their stuff in the frozen foods aisle, instead of eating in and paying out the ass.

Nobody's trying to be a jerk to these guys. People just don't have the money. If you can convince my home owner's office to drop my rent from $1500/mo, then I'll go once a week.

or millennials dont want to spend $40 and an evening out for a dinner of what is basically fast food on nicer plates
---

I like applebees tbh.
---

They only launched their "comprehensive business transformation a year ago. Not even. And their market research of the targeted demographic lead them to believe 'wood stoves' are what they wanted. None of that makes sense. What can they tell in a year, how can they know the exact effect of their plans when they're moving from them so quickly? Are they taking into account the fact that similar chains are experiencing similar depressions and that their problem may be an intrinsic one?

This analysis seems so lazy. Why are they pointing the finger at millennials, when their reputation has never been the kind to appeal to young, potentially affluent twenty somethings, who have the disposable income to indulge in the novelty of a more tailored experience?
---

Gafemage posted...

Ihop is also apparently closing multiple locations as well...

Fuck

There's an Applebee's and IHOP right next to each other down the road from my house and if they close I'm gonna be soooo pissed.

Wife and I have a weird tradition where every time we see a movie that gets out after midnight we go to IHOP.

We also see Transiberian Orchestra every year and go to Applebee's afterwards.

Food isn't the best at all but it's the tradition we started when we were 17 that matters to me.


Thanks, Obama.
---

Gee maybe there are better restaurants out there idk
---

I have no problem with the food itself, especially if someone's treating me.

The issue is - if I'm going to spend restaurant-level money, I want to do it at a better or more unique restaurant, not some generic chain that I can get literally anywhere.
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

The issue is - if I'm going to spend restaurant-level money, I want to do it at a better or more unique restaurant, not some generic chain that I can get literally anywhere.

Exactly. And this outlook isn't new to millennials, but goes back to our parents. If anything has changed, it's that there is a greater variety of culinary experiences out there even in middle america where the only late might have been the occasional diner, until recently.
---

Does...does anyone really care about the restaurant as long as it tastes good?

I don't care about if a place appeals to me. I just want good food for a decent price. That's literally it.
---

Executives blamed difficulties in part on Applebee's attempt to win over millennial diners.

Strictly speaking, this is exactly what they need to do. Gen X and the Boomers aren't gonna last forever.

I'm.guessing the problem was really more along the lines of trying and failing.
---

HaVeNII7 posted...

Does...does anyone really care about the restaurant as long as it tastes good?

I don't care about if a place appeals to me. I just want good food for a decent price. That's literally it.

If I have ten dollars to drop on a meal, I can drop it on a chain that is decent, and consistent, but otherwise kind of boring. Or I can gamble that ten dollars on something novel and hip from the waffle sandwich shop in the entertainment district for a more engaging atmosphere and potentially better food.
---

For once millennials doing us all a solid.
---

HaVeNII7 posted...

Does...does anyone really care about the restaurant as long as it tastes good?

I don't care about if a place appeals to me. I just want good food for a decent price. That's literally it.

i want more than 'tastes good'

i want 'tastes unique and is something i can't get elsewhere'

applebees costs as much as my neighborhood ethiopian restaurant, but serves food i can make. eating there is essentially me saying "I am too lazy to cook tonight."

i can't make kitfo. i eat at addis ababa restaurant because i want food i can't have at home.
---

Someone should make a parody horror film about millennials killing everything.
---

Found it . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrt5XHa_DbE

How can you not eat there when they're DARING YOU?!!!!

Fuck you applebees. Fuck you everyone involved in marketing.
---

Romulox28 posted...

Applebees is more than just a restaurant, it is an experience.

When you step through the door of the restaurant your first time, you are transported into a world unlike any other. The low light of the restaurant casts shadows on the knick-knacks adorning the walls, and the translucent hum of the various screens through the restaurant create a sort of ethereal presence in the restaurant.

Right off the bat, you know you are in for a dining experience like no other.

"Welcome to Applebees!" a cheerful host says to you. "How many are in your party?" You hold up two fingers. "Right this way!" She responds. As you walk to your table, you wonder how she can deal with so many customers, yet remain so chipper, but shrug it off as another wonderful mystery caused by the splendor of Applebees.

The waitress takes your drink order and for a moment, your head is spinning. Do you want a soda? Do you want iced tea? You look at the drink menu and you see a litany of alcoholic beverages you have only dreamed about - Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Light...

The waitress offers a helpful suggestion of an Oreo Shake, and you say that sounds great. She asks if you'd like a round of water for the table as well. You smile. This is the kind of attention to detail that you expect from Michelin Star rated restaurants, not a Neighborhood Bar & Grill!

As the waitress goes to fetch your shake, you peruse the menu. The pages are jam-packed with the names of delicacies that you can only imagine. Fiesta Lime Chicken? Shrimp N' Parmesan Sirloin? You shift in your seat; you suddenly feel very self-aware that you do not belong in this restaurant. Your palatte does not feel sophisticated enough for these cuisines, and you worry that you will not do these delicacies justice when you enjoy them.

Just at this moment, the waitress comes to your table and all your fears are dissuaded. You order the Chicken Tenders Platter (a local favorite). You take a sip from your Oreo Shake and breath a sigh of relief as liquified Oreos slide down your throat. You lean back in your booth and relax.

Suddenly, you hear a chorus of heavenly voices rise from behind you. You turn around to see all of the Applebees wait staff coming towards you, singing and clapping their hands. "Happy happy birthday, from Applebees to you," they cheer. "We wish it was our birthday, so we could party too, hey!"

As soon as they arrived, the employees scatter, leaving you to dwell on the beauty of it all; the fact that Applebees treats you with such precise, special attention, the five-star cuisine, the exotic decor, and the fact that the wait staff is so eager to share in your special moments with you.

This never gets old.
---

Too much money for their own good. They got complacent.
---

They better not close the one near me.

I like the appetizers and the bourbon street chicken and shrimp a lot.
---

eat shit applebees!
---

Also I don't know why it's just millennials getting blamed for this - it's too boring and expensive for college kids / young adults, but it's too cheap and bland for older people who can afford to eat out at nicer places and/or cook at home more often.

tl;dr: Everyone's killing Applebee's.
---

DKFjalfe posted...

And nothing of value was lost.

This. I've been to Applebees a handful of times and every time it was so mediocre bordering on awful
---

Isn't applebees the place that charges for refills on drinks?
---

IHOP deserves to go down after drastically decreasing their portions while hiking their prices up, IMO.

--kresnik-- posted...

Isn't applebees the place that charges for refills on drinks?

They never did that whenever I went there.
---

"We can't change with the times so we will blame our customers."
---

What are these "millenial diners" that serve breakfast as tasty as ihop and are open at 3am. I will live at one if it really exists.

Or any "millenial diner" actually, I've never heard of such a thing.
---

wait, that was them trying to "appeal to millennials"?

TheVipaGTS posted...

wait, that was them trying to "appeal to millennials"?

They clearly didn't do a great job because I wasn't even aware of those menu items until this topic
---

TheVipaGTS posted...

wait, that was them trying to "appeal to millennials"?

Right?
---

Went to Applebee's a couple weeks ago and it was actually pretty good. Had a gift card or I wouldn't have gone, last few times I'd been before that it was pretty lousy. Obviously no one goes to that type of place expecting the finest of all cuisine, but places like Cheddar's or Chili's are typically way better, but it seemed they finally had upped their game. Too little, too late I guess.

There are a ton of Applebee's, though... closing 135 locations isn't the end of the world. We have two in town and I'm sure we could survive just fine with one.
---

fenderbender321 posted...

Last time I went to Applebees to have a beer and order a salad to go, I walked in and the girl was like "we close in 20 minutes, sorry".

As a server, I was quite offended. I would never say that to a customer. Plus the shit I was gonna order should have only taken up 10 minutes of their time.

I can see why they are shutting down locations. Applebees sucks.

Lol what?

That's a reasonable time to order a Togo salad and drink.
---

pikachupwnage posted...

fenderbender321 posted...

Last time I went to Applebees to have a beer and order a salad to go, I walked in and the girl was like "we close in 20 minutes, sorry".

As a server, I was quite offended. I would never say that to a customer. Plus the shit I was gonna order should have only taken up 10 minutes of their time.

I can see why they are shutting down locations. Applebees sucks.

Lol what?

That's a reasonable time to order a Togo salad and drink.

I'm dating a server, closing time is closing time, 20 till is not. The server fender mentioned is a lazy fuck that's no good at her job.
---