First Applebee’s Grill & Bar® to Open in the Philippines this September

Applebee’s Grill & Bar®, the quintessential American restaurant since it first opened in 1980 outside Atlanta, Georgia and which has since grown to be the largest casual dining brand in the world, is opening its first location in the Philippines, it was announced today by Daniel del Olmo, President of International, DineEquity, Inc.

The new Applebee’s, which represents another step forward in the international growth strategy of parent company DineEquity, Inc., is located at the Ground Floor of the W Global Center, 30th Street corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

It also represents an expansion of the DineEquity relationship with its franchise partner for its other leading brand, IHOP® restaurants, Global Restaurant Concepts. Global Restaurant Concepts currently operates seven IHOP restaurants in the Philippines.

The opening of Applebee’s Grill & Bar, will bring the brand’s 35 years of experience serving the best in ribs, steaks, burgers, appetizers and a range of drink choices to guests in the Philippines, and is the first of three Applebee’s locations expected to open in the Philippines over the next several years.

The new Applebee’s restaurant will embody Applebee’s new 360 degree brand evolution, which sees the philosophy—“There’s always a reason to celebrate”, whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or just simply finding your car keys—reflected in every aspect of the guest experience, from design and décor to promotion to menu innovation to service and hospitality.

“We are delighted to bring the classic American grill and bar experience to guests in the Philippines, which has long been a goal for all of us at DineEquity,” said del Olmo. “Our largest ever consumer research study identified the Philippines as a market with great growth opportunity for Applebee’s.”

“But key to our plan was to find a franchise partner who would bring the same level of commitment, quality and guest satisfaction that we experienced with our IHOP franchise partner Archie Rodriguez and Global Restaurant Concepts, who, in their first year of operations, won our IHOP International Franchisee of the Year Award,” del Olmo continued. “Once they expressed interest in bringing Applebee’s to the market, we knew we had found the perfect partner and the perfect opportunity.”

“We are happy with the partnership we have with DineEquity as we are aligned in many ways with our vision and mission of providing a memorable dining experience. The rest of the team and I are excited to celebrate everything with our guests at Applebee’s as we serve classic American grill and bar flavors. As with the success of IHOP, we are sure Filipinos will love the whole concept of Applebee’s – from its menu, service, and overall ambiance - with their friends and family,” says Archie Rodriguez, President and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts. 

“Global Restaurant Concepts has grown IHOP in the Philippines rapidly over the past few years, and their work has caused local guests to truly love the brand,” del Olmo added. “I believe we will see very similar results with the Applebee’s brand from our committed and experienced partner.”