All-you-can-eat fries and free refills are coming to the menu at Applebee’s.
Starting Friday, customers will be able to consume as many fries and soft drinks as they can handle when they order the casual-dining chain’s $9.99 Really Big Meal Deal. The meal offers a choice of a burger or chicken sandwich, plus fries and a drink.
Applebee’s President Tony Moralejo broke the news Monday on Asking for a Trend, an online video series produced by Yahoo Finance. “The best value meal in America just got even better,” Moralejo said.
The all-you-can eat offering is part of a bigger focus on value at the chain, where sales have slumped in recent quarters. The chain is hoping the attractive price point and generous portions will lure customers who have been stung by inflation.
It is also the latest salvo in a growing value war between Applebee’s and Chili’s, its biggest rival. Chili’s $10.99 3 for Me meal has been a hit with customers and has helped the brand outperform Applebee’s lately.
The two chains got into it on social media last week after Applebee’s implied that the Really Big Meal Deal is a better value than 3 for Me.
“It’s just a little friendly brand personality flexing among the different brands,” Moralejo said on Asking for a Trend. “We’re having a little fun with it.”
Moralejo declined to provide sales results for the Really Big Meal Deal so far, but said it has been resonating with customers and has gotten the “green light” from franchisees. The deal will run through the end of the month and likely longer, he said, noting the need to be sensitive to operators’ profit margins.
The addition of endless fries and drinks certainly adds to the meal’s value proposition. It also brings it more in line with Chili’s 3 for Me, which offers bottomless chips and salsa, plus an entree, side and soft drink.
But Moralejo said the new offering is not a response to Chili’s meal. “I mean, salsa and chips, it’s filler, right?” he said.
Regardless, giving away free food can be risky, as Red Lobster learned recently with its disastrous endless shrimp promotion. But Moralejo dismissed that comparison. “French fries aren’t the same as fish,” he said.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.