GLENDALE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar honored
franchisees and vendor partners for operational excellence,
financial leadership and community engagement at the 2016
Applebee's Global Franchise Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. These annual awards
recognize a selection of top organizations that have made a
significant contribution to building the Applebee's brand as
America's first choice neighborhood grill and bar, resulting in a
positive impact on local neighborhoods around the world during the
previous year.
"The group of award winners this year is truly inspiring; they
take Applebee's to new heights of excellence, motivating us all to
consistently find new ways to build the Applebee's brand and make a
positive impact in our neighborhood communities," said Julia Stewart, president of Applebee's and
chairman and CEO of Applebee's parent company DineEquity, Inc.
[NYSE: DIN].
The Abe Gustin Franchisee of the Year Award: Harry Rose of The Rose Group
For the
second year in a row, this year's Abe Gustin Franchisee of the Year
Award recipient is Harry Rose,
Chairman of The Rose Group. This annual award, named for the
man who helped build Applebee's into the nation's iconic, casual
dining brand, is given to franchisees who have achieved the highest
standards possible for the Applebee's brand, restaurants and
guests. The Rose Group demonstrates unparalleled commitment and
passion for the brand and contributes to brand growth through:
internal committee participation; collaborative philanthropic
initiatives including raising more than $270,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
this year; consistent dedication to training and development;
participation in product tests; and a constant dedication to
ensuring all Applebee's guests have a consistently great dining
experience in each of their restaurants. The Rose Group achieved
the highest scores in all measurable areas of guest satisfaction
and retention this past year.
The International Franchisee of the Year Award: Eduardo Orozco of Internacional 999
This
award is given to the international franchise partner who has
achieved notable success in building their business and
representing the very best of Applebee's to their guests. For the
second consecutive year, the honor was awarded to
Internacional 999 in recognition of their combined
dedication to people development, menu testing, community support
and overall business excellence. Eduardo
Orozco, Executive Director of Internacional 999 accepted
the award on behalf of his franchise.
The Heart of Applebee's Award: 10 Franchisees in Support of
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
The Heart of Applebee's
Award is traditionally awarded annually to a single Applebee's
franchise that has shown the greatest commitment to an individual
cause or organization. For 2016, the honor was awarded to an
impressive 10 franchisees for their collaboration and work with
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) – a partnership that has
grown from only two franchisees in 2004. With a combined 1,050
restaurants, these 10 franchises raised $1.2
million through a variety of fundraising initiatives,
bringing the program's 11-year fundraising total to $7 million. The 10 groups recognized for this
incredible achievement with the 2016 Heart of Applebee's Award
were: Apple American, Apple by the Bay, Apple Gold, Bloomin'
Apple, Doherty Enterprises, Miller
Apple, Potomac Family Dining Group, RMH, TL Cannon and The
Rose Group.
The Neighbor of the Year Award: Doherty Enterprises
This award recognizes the Applebee's franchise that has
demonstrated an uncommon commitment to serving its neighborhoods
and communities through a variety of causes, activities and
initiatives. This year's honoree was Doherty Enterprises
with the award being accepted by Chairman and CEO, Ed Doherty. Doherty Enterprises is a
continuously generous member of the many communities it serves.
This year alone, it has raised more than $3.3 million through more than 4,000 fundraising
initiatives throughout the year, taking the responsibility of being
a good neighbor to a new level.
Additionally, Applebee's awarded an honorable mention to the
Potomac Family Dining Group, a franchisee that exemplifies
the neighborhood spirit of Applebee's, always aiming to do bigger
and better things in its communities. In 2016, this group doubled
its franchising events to raise more than $540,000 for organizations including Alex's
Lemonade Stand Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project, just to
name a few.
The Vendor of the Year Award: Stampede Meat
Every year
this honor is awarded to the vendor partner that made the greatest
contribution to the Applebee's system. This year, Stampede
Meat was recognized as Applebee's Vendor of the Year, with the
award being accepted by Stampede Meat President and CEO,
Brock Furlong. Stampede Meats
showed flexibility and transparency during a complex logistical
transition to new certified USDA Choice steaks, maintaining
constant communication, increasing production and balancing
inventory to enable Applebee's to launch these new steaks
successfully in 2016.
The Operator of the Year Award: Bonnie Lippincott of The Rose Group
This
award recognizes an operator who is passionate about what they do
at Applebee's, and goes above and beyond every day to ensure their
restaurants and management teams exceed guest expectations. For a
second year in a row, the award went to Bonnie Lippincott, Chief Operating Officer of
The Rose Group for her leadership in building a high-performing
team. Each day, Bonnie's restaurants provide Applebee's guests with
a real and personal neighborhood experience, maintaining the
highest internal standards of service.
About Applebee's®
Applebee's Neighborhood Grill &
Bar offers a lively bar and grill experience combining hand-crafted
drinks and simple, craveable American fare with flair. All
Applebee's restaurants are owned and operated by entrepreneurs
dedicated to serving their communities and offering the best in
food and drinks with genuine, neighborly service. With more than
2,000 locations now in all 50 states, Guam, Puerto
Rico and 15 countries, Applebee's is one of the world's
largest casual dining brands. Applebee's is franchised by
subsidiaries of DineEquity, Inc. [NYSE: DIN], which is among the
world's largest full-service restaurant companies.
www.applebees.com
Follow us:
Instagram: @applebees
Twitter: @applebees
Facebook: www.facebook.com/applebees
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151028/281507LOGO
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161009/426699
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161009/426700
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161009/426701
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161009/426702
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161009/426703
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161009/426704
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/applebees-presents-top-honors-at-2016-global-franchise-conference-300341675.html
SOURCE Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar