For the second year in a row, Apple Texas, Applebee’s franchisee in the Lone Star State, is honoring gift cards, gift certificates and coupons—expired or not—from any business during the month of March. Whatever dollar amount is left on a Target card, for example, is the amount a guest will receive off their food check. Via the promotion, customers can get up to 50% off their restaurant food purchases.
Apple Texas franchisee Sunil Dharod launched the same “March Madness” campaign last year, and it was successful enough to earn him Marketing Innovator of the Year by Applebee’s corporate. All 65 Applebee’s owned by Apple Texas are participating.
On the national marketing level, Applebee’s is returning to its roots, focusing on promotions that appeal to its core of mainstream, value-conscious customers. That aspect of the brand’s turnaround plan was outlined by Dine Brands Global, Applebee’s parent company, during an investors’ conference on Feb. 21. Recent deals spotlighted the chain’s ribs, burgers and chicken tenders at budget-friendly prices.
In step with this focus is Applebee’s Neighborhood Drink for March—a $2 vodka lemonade. The deal taps into the success of the Dollarita, the popular $1 margarita the chain launched in October.
Although Applebee’s reported a same-store sales gain of 1.3% in Q4 2017 and a boost in traffic, revenues were down 3.5% in the quarter and 4.6% in the previous nine months.
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