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                         APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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                (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)


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                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Investor Contact:
Carol DiRaimo, (913) 967-4109

Media Contact:
Laurie Ellison, (913) 967-2718


                Applebee's International To Close 24 Restaurants

OVERLAND  PARK,   KAN.,  March  21,  2007  -  Applebee's   International,   Inc.
(Nasdaq:APPB)  today  announced  it is  closing  24  of  its  528  company-owned
restaurants.  System-wide,  there are more than  1,940  Applebee's  Neighborhood
Grill & Bar restaurants.

Last week,  the company  announced  that the Strategy  Committee of  independent
directors  had a broad  mandate to  conduct a  comprehensive  evaluation  of the
company's  strategic  alternatives,  as  well  as  its  business  and  financial
strategies.  As part of its work,  the  Committee  reviewed  the  results  of an
extensive  analysis to identify those restaurants not meeting  acceptable levels
of return on investment and other key operating metrics.

Of the 24 restaurant  closings,  10 are located in two states in the New England
region, while the remaining 14 are scattered across nine other states.

"These  restaurant  closures will have a positive impact on our future earnings,
cash flow and return on invested capital," said Dave Goebel, president and chief
executive  officer.  "In particular,  following these closings,  our New England
market will be stronger and better positioned for future growth and success.

"The decision to close  underperforming  restaurants  reflects the company's and
our board's commitment to disciplined  capital allocation and to ensuring we are
maximizing both our physical  assets and invaluable  people  resources,"  Goebel
said.

In the past,  Applebee's  has  closed  an  average  of one or two  company-owned
restaurants per year.

The company  said it is  transferring  approximately  80 percent of the impacted
managers to other Applebee's  restaurants.  Hourly  associates will be given the
opportunity to express  interest in jobs at other  Applebee's  restaurants.  The
company expects to close  approximately  19 of the restaurants by the end of the
first  fiscal  quarter  of  2007.  The  closing  dates  for the  five  remaining
restaurants will depend on the outcome of negotiations  with landlords,  as well
as other factors.


                                    - more -
March 21, 2007
Page 2

The company  currently  expects  pre-tax charges for the first fiscal quarter of
2007 to include  approximately  $13.5 to $15.5  million in  non-cash  impairment
charges for all 24  restaurants;  approximately  $8.0 to $10.0  million in lease
contract  termination  costs for the restaurants  expected to close in the first
fiscal quarter of 2007; and  approximately  $0.5 to $1.0 million in other costs.
The company  currently  expects that lease  contract  termination  costs for the
remaining five restaurants  will be approximately  $1.5 million to $2.5 million.
The actual amount of any cash  payments  made by the company for lease  contract
termination costs will depend on ongoing  negotiations with the landlords of the
leased restaurant properties.

The company  noted this action is one of several  recent  decisions  designed to
optimize its asset base. In February,  the company sold one of its two corporate
aircraft (it now owns only one prop plane), and the company is in the process of
selling its current headquarters  building in Overland Park, Kansas. The company
also plans to  execute a  sale-leaseback  on its new  headquarters  building  in
Lenexa, Kansas, after it moves in at the end of this year.


Applebee's International,  Inc., headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., develops,
franchises and operates  restaurants under the Applebee's  Neighborhood  Grill &
Bar brand,  the largest casual dining concept in the world. As of Feb. 25, 2007,
there  were  1,942   restaurants   operating   system-wide  in  49  states,   16
international  countries,  and one U.S.  territory.  Additional  information  on
Applebee's    International    can   be   found   at   the   company's   website
(www.applebees.com).

Certain statements  contained in this release regarding the timing of restaurant
closures and the amount of costs to be incurred are forward-looking and based on
current expectations. There are several risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual  results  to differ  materially  from  those  described.  For  additional
discussion  of the  principal  factors  that could  cause  actual  results to be
materially different,  the reader is referred to the Company's Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended  December 31, 2006.  The company  disclaims any  obligation to
update these forward-looking statements.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Applebee's  International,  Inc.  ("Applebee's")  plans to file with the SEC and
mail to its  stockholders a Proxy  Statement in connection  with its 2007 Annual
Meeting,  and advises its security holders to read the proxy statement and other
documents  relating  to the 2007  Annual  Meeting  when they  become  available,
because they will contain important  information.  Security holders may obtain a
free copy of the proxy  statement  and other  documents  (when  available)  that
Applebee's  files with the SEC at the SEC's web site at  www.sec.gov.  The proxy
statement  and  these  other  documents  may  also be  obtained  for  free  from
Applebee's  by  directing  a  request  to our  Corporate  Secretary,  Applebee's
International, Inc., 4551 West 107th Street, Overland Park, KS 66207.

CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS
Applebee's,  its  directors  and named  executive  officers  may be deemed to be
participants in the  solicitation of Applebee's  security  holders in connection
with its 2007 Annual Meeting.  Security holders may obtain information regarding
the names,  affiliations and interests of such individuals in Applebee's  Annual
Report  on Form  10-K  for the year  ended  December  31,  2006,  and its  proxy
statement  dated  April 11,  2006,  each of which is filed with the SEC.  To the
extent holders of Applebee's  securities have changed from the amounts disclosed
in the proxy statement, such changes have been reflected on Statements of Change
in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. These documents are available free of
charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

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