Casual Dining Restaurant · FDD 2025 · from public state filings
DDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
Investment
$1,766,798–$5,822,933
Total fees
8.25% of sales
Outlets
1,507
Closure signals
29 ceased, 0 terminated
Lawsuits
9
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses only gross sales by region (avg $2.76M system-wide, 1,443 units). No profitability, net income, or expense data provided. Top-line revenue only; omits costs, margins, and owner earnings entirely.
Honesty grade D: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
82 franchised traditional units lost in 2024; multiple franchisee bankruptcies evident in litigation.
Legal history (Item 3)
9 matters disclosed.
Get the full Applebee's validation report — $149
The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Discloses only gross sales by region (avg $2.76M system-wide, 1,443 units). No profitability, n…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $1,766,798–$5,822,933, including a $35,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Applebee's franchise owners make?
Discloses only gross sales by region (avg $2.76M system-wide, 1,443 units). No profitability, net income, or expense data provided. Top-line revenue only; omits costs, margins, and owner earnings entirely. We grade this disclosure D for honesty.
What is the Applebee's franchise failure rate?
82 franchised traditional units lost in 2024; multiple franchisee bankruptcies evident in litigation.
Is a Applebee's franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Applebee's scores D on disclosure honesty, carries about 8.25% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 9 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a Applebee's? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
We publish only aggregated benchmarks — never your name. Contribute and we'll show you how your numbers compare.
Source: MN CARDS 33157-202503-08 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Applebee's or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.