2 months ago
Seattle Seahawks
legend Marshawn Lynch has a new national gig nearly two decades after Applebee's played an unlikely role in introducing his personality to football fans.
Lynch is starring in a new Applebee's advertising campaign promoting the restaurant chain's O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger, which launched nationally on August 31. The partnership reunites Lynch with a brand connected to him since before his 12-year NFL career ever began.
Applebee's announced the new menu item on August 31, with Lynch announcing it too on his Instagram, describing it as an expanded version of its longtime Quesadilla Burger. The burger includes bacon and Pepper Jack cheese and arrives in a skillet of molten queso and melted Cheddar, along with tortilla chips, queso, pico de gallo and cilantro. It is being offered for a limited time as part of the chain's 2 for $25 menu.
But for Seahawks fans, the more interesting part of the rollout is the person Applebee's chose to sell it.
#seahawks #august #menu #part
legend Marshawn Lynch has a new national gig nearly two decades after Applebee's played an unlikely role in introducing his personality to football fans.
Lynch is starring in a new Applebee's advertising campaign promoting the restaurant chain's O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger, which launched nationally on August 31. The partnership reunites Lynch with a brand connected to him since before his 12-year NFL career ever began.
Applebee's announced the new menu item on August 31, with Lynch announcing it too on his Instagram, describing it as an expanded version of its longtime Quesadilla Burger. The burger includes bacon and Pepper Jack cheese and arrives in a skillet of molten queso and melted Cheddar, along with tortilla chips, queso, pico de gallo and cilantro. It is being offered for a limited time as part of the chain's 2 for $25 menu.
But for Seahawks fans, the more interesting part of the rollout is the person Applebee's chose to sell it.
#seahawks #august #menu #part
2 months ago
Casual dining restaurants have to walk a tightrope when it comes to offering strong value and a good customer experience. Chili's has succeeded in finding the right mix of price, value, and experience that keeps the chain affordable while differentiating it from fast-food and fast-casual chains.
"Chili's was the unquestionable same-store sales champ in 2025, though this has set the brand up for some difficult comps periods," Restaurant Dive reported. "…In its most recent quarter, that success was driven primarily by traffic growth, a remarkable feat at a time when many brands faced stagnant or reversing traffic."
Other chains, including Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's, have shrunk. On The Border filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and only a handful of franchised locations remain, while Bahama Breeze was shut down by Darden, its parent company.
Buffalo Wild Wings, another casual dining chain going after that same audience, has also been closing restaurants. It's selective, and the chain has opened some new locations as well, but that's cold comfort to people who watch their nearby location shut down.
Chili's success has been driven by its value offerings. That's something Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman talked about during the Chili's parents company's fourth-quarter earnings call.
#value #restaurants #fast #chains
"Chili's was the unquestionable same-store sales champ in 2025, though this has set the brand up for some difficult comps periods," Restaurant Dive reported. "…In its most recent quarter, that success was driven primarily by traffic growth, a remarkable feat at a time when many brands faced stagnant or reversing traffic."
Other chains, including Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's, have shrunk. On The Border filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and only a handful of franchised locations remain, while Bahama Breeze was shut down by Darden, its parent company.
Buffalo Wild Wings, another casual dining chain going after that same audience, has also been closing restaurants. It's selective, and the chain has opened some new locations as well, but that's cold comfort to people who watch their nearby location shut down.
Chili's success has been driven by its value offerings. That's something Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman talked about during the Chili's parents company's fourth-quarter earnings call.
#value #restaurants #fast #chains
3 months ago
Dine Brands reported second-quarter revenue of $240.9 million, up from $230.8 million a year earlier, as a sales increase at IHOP offset continued weakness at Applebee's.
Net income fell to $4.3 million, or 35 cents per diluted share, from $13.8 million, or 89 cents per diluted share, in the same period of 2025. Excluding certain one-time items, the company's adjusted earnings came to $1.16 per diluted share, short of the $1.20 per share that **** ysts had expected, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Domestic same-restaurant sales rose 1.5% at IHOP and fell 1.8% at Applebee's compared with the year-earlier quarter. **** ysts had projected a 0.5% increase at IHOP and a 2.2% decline at Applebee's, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The revenue gain was driven by higher company-owned restaurant sales, which the company attributed to an increase in the number of restaurants acquired from franchisees and the timing of those acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA declined to $54.2 million from $56.2 million in the second quarter of 2025.
Chief Executive John Peyton said consumers continue to prioritize affordability and value. He noted in a statement that IHOP posted its third consecutive quarter of outperformance on both sales and traffic relative to the broader industry.
#quarter #increase #street
Net income fell to $4.3 million, or 35 cents per diluted share, from $13.8 million, or 89 cents per diluted share, in the same period of 2025. Excluding certain one-time items, the company's adjusted earnings came to $1.16 per diluted share, short of the $1.20 per share that **** ysts had expected, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Domestic same-restaurant sales rose 1.5% at IHOP and fell 1.8% at Applebee's compared with the year-earlier quarter. **** ysts had projected a 0.5% increase at IHOP and a 2.2% decline at Applebee's, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The revenue gain was driven by higher company-owned restaurant sales, which the company attributed to an increase in the number of restaurants acquired from franchisees and the timing of those acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA declined to $54.2 million from $56.2 million in the second quarter of 2025.
Chief Executive John Peyton said consumers continue to prioritize affordability and value. He noted in a statement that IHOP posted its third consecutive quarter of outperformance on both sales and traffic relative to the broader industry.
#quarter #increase #street
