Most people don't know that in some parts of the U.S., Applebee's restaurants — the most middle of all middle-market fast casual chains — turn into alcohol-fueled party dens after 10 p.m.
At "Club Applebee's," dancing on tables, black lights, and DJs are not uncommon. We published a story last August showcasing the clubs. The debauchery — girls licking whipped cream off each other, for instance — took place at a few restaurants in Central Florida. People were "hanging from the rafters on Thursday nights down there,” Bloomberg noted at the time.
We reported that the clubs were not part of Applebee's' regular marketing strategy ... which made us curious. What was the deal with the random club scenes at our "Neighborhood Bar & Grill"?
After a conversation with representatives of the Applebee's brand, we have some updates on Club Applebee's. They managed to clear some things up for us regarding what has been going down after dark at their restaurants. The good news? Club Bee's is still going strong.
As it turns out, Applebee's wasn't too pleased when Club Applebee's made headlines last year. Which is understandable for a restaurant targeting traditional families, like this one.
According to a PR representative, most of the stories from August 2012 focused on photos of an "extremely dated" event sponsored by a radio station that "was not aligned with the brand's values."
The rep explained to us that all but 23 Applebee's nationwide are owned by independent franchisees—smaller management companies that operate the branches in their region.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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