Editing Applebee's (section)

===1980–2006: Founding and going public===
The Applebee's chain was founded by Bill and T. J. Palmer in July 1980. Their vision was "to create a restaurant that had a neighborhood pub feel to it and could offer friendly service along with quality fare at a lower price than most of their competition." The name “Appleby” was their first choice for this concept, but they found that it had already been registered.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rewindandcapture.com/why-is-applebees-called-applebees/|title=Why is Applebee's Called Applebee's? {{!}} Rewind & Capture|last=McDonald|first=Travis|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> They also considered "Cinnamon's" and "Pepper's" before arriving at Applebee's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/things-to-know-about-applebees-2019-2|title=12 things you didn't know about Applebee's|last=Attride|first=Tiana|website=Insider|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> They opened their first location on November 19, 1980 in [[Decatur, Georgia]], at the time named T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs. They opened a second location outside of [[Atlanta, Georgia]], a few years later, and sold the company to [[W. R. Grace and Company]] in May 1983.<ref name="DMMD">{{cite web |last1=Meyers |first1=Dan |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Applebee's |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-applebee-s |website=The Daily Meal|date=May 22, 2015 }}</ref> As part of the transaction, Bill Palmer was named president of the Applebee's Division, an indirect subsidiary of W. R. Grace and Company. In that capacity, Palmer guided the operation from its entrepreneurial beginnings to a full-fledged franchise system. He became an Applebee's franchisee in 1985. Bill Palmer died in 2020.

In 1986, the name of the concept was changed to Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Scott |title=Humble origins of 10 favorite restaurants |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/04/mf.chain.restaurants/index.html |access-date=November 10, 2019 |publisher=CNN |date=March 4, 2011}}</ref> In 1988, Applebee's International, Inc., became the restaurant chain's franchiser when Kansas City franchisees Abe Gustin and John Hamra purchased the rights to the Applebee's concept from W. R. Grace.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ab.hoovers.com/12395831-1.html?hid=11606243&serv=GGLCHQ2231011760&t=30&num=8662819168&cm_ven=PAID&cm_cat=GGL&cm_pla=CHQ&cm_ite=applebee%27s_headquarters |title=Hoover's – Company Locations and Addresses: Applebee's International, Inc}}{{dead link|date=April 2012}}</ref> In 1989, Applebee's opened their 100th restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.applebees.com/en/our-history|title=Our History|website=www.applebees.com|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref>

In the 1990s, Applebee's became one of the largest sit-down restaurant chains in the United States,<ref name="ShiftingScene">{{cite news |last1=Adamy |first1=Janet |title=A Shift in Dining Scene Nicks a Once-Hot Chain |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118308375479752522 |access-date=November 10, 2019 |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |date=June 29, 2007}}</ref> and it began [[public company|trading publicly]] in November 1991.<ref>{{cite news |title=Small Stocks High Hopes |date = August 1995|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4AYEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Applebee%27s%22+initial+public+offering&pg=PA46 |access-date=November 10, 2019 |publisher=Kiplingers Personal Finance}}</ref> In 1998, Applebee's opened its 1000th restaurant.