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Subscribe to RSSThe family restaurant Applebees, with almost 2,000 locations across the country, is keeping its doors open until midnight and later in hopes of becoming a trendy after-hours hot spot. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
The hottest club in many suburban towns across America will soon be a Club Applebee's. That's right, starting at 10 p.m., the family-oriented casual dining chain will turn down the lights, pump up the bass, and clear away the cocktail tables to open up the dance floor.
This is seriously a real thing that is really happening.
Indeed, “Club Bee's” will have live DJ's, ladies' nights, karaoke, luau, food and drink specials, and all the “Call Me Maybe” covers you can shake a buffalo wing at.
At some of the franchises in Florida, where the concept first started when some franchise owners noticed a younger crowd hanging out towards the end of the night and downing drinks, even have “white” parties. The restaurant hangs white sheets everywhere and patrons are encouraged to sport white colored clothing. Employees then turn on the blacklights to give every surface an ultraviolet glow.
“This is a pretty good vibe, I'm not gonna lie,” one happy Club Applebee's customer told TODAY reporters when they went to check out the scene.
“We've come here after ten on Wednesday's for Girl's Night, it's pretty good, I must say I enjoy it,” Analia Fernandez, who normally dines at the chain during the day with her 10-year-old brother, told TODAY's Janet Shamlian.
“I would definitely come back, this is my second Thursday in a row,” said another.
What's next? Raves at Dairy Queen?
The chain hasn't released figures but says so far it's making money. Boozy beverages are the most profitable items on the menu. In a down economy, businesses have to get creative to raise revenue, and regular folks are looking to get down and forget their troubles on the cheap. But how will the raucous vibe play against Applebee's traditional family-friendly and work casual atmosphere?
The chain of some 2,000 franchise locations isn't worried. "Families are a huge part of the business, even for the franchisees that have a strong bar business," Brian Masilionis, senior manager-beverage at Applebee's, told Advertising Age. "Staying open later allows us to have more fun things later at night when kids are in bed. Historically, we may have had more confusion with guests when we closed earlier."
It's true. When I went to a conference this summer and got back the hotel on the highway strip at a 9:30 p.m., I scratched my head why I couldn't get some food at either the Applebee's or the other restaurants on either side of where I was staying.
Still, it sounds like an Onion headline. So much so that last year the satirical publication ran a fake news segment on how the chain was trying to drum up business by encouraging hipsters to visit the chain “ironically.”
The tagline in the fake ad was “Wouldn't it be funny to go to Applebee's?” But judging by the footage and testimonials, the late-night revelers are saying to each other, “Wouldn't it be fun?”
So while at first blush it all sounds pretty ridiculous, in the suburban towns where Applebee's are frequently found, nightlife options are not.
“I could see this being hip in some of the burbs by me. I live 20 miles away from downtown and there are no night clubs nearby,” one online commenter wrote . “Plenty of Applebee's, though.”
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Really? Um, Ok whatever. I had a chicken dish there several years ago and my chicken was still frozen in the middle. Needless to say I havent been back..
Applebee's = bad food + bad service + annoying loud music + a bunch of college kids and teenies sitting around all evening nursing one beer or one burger = I'm going to a real restaurant down the street!
I'll go as long as they play Pitbull, Carley Rae Gypsum, and Nikkie Monage et tois.
And I'll NOT go as long as they play Pitbull, Carley Rae Gypsum, and Nikkie Monage et tois ....
It does'nt say disco in the article (darn..).
"white parties"??? sounds racist if you want it to be.
And don't black lights emit harmful UV light on your eyes??
Now the worst restaurant chain in the world can also have the worst night clubs.
New tag line: Blooming Onions in the day, Blooming Boners at night. Feeling good in the neighborhood.
Sounds like fun! Our town doesn't have ANY interesting night life, but we do have an Applebee's. I am totally for it!
If it is a "night club" in a restaurant, what ages would be allowed in? could be a venue for the tweeners...?
Not in California. It is after curfew and unless you are away from the bar area...no go. , sorry...or maybe lucky for your parents. And if they did allow under age tweeners, the business would go down as they "mostly" do not have the finances to go every night or every weekend to the club and the older males who are there with the under age kids...should be looked into.
In California there are underage clubs that serve NO booze at all and nobody over 21, except workers who are not allowed to socialize with the kids, are allowed in and on your 18th Birthday we send you off with a big blow out, but you are then banned from the club. Then there are 18 and over clubs to take up the slack for those awaiting to turn 21 to go to a real club. under 21 gets a BIG GLOW IN THE DARK stamp on BOTH hands...believe me you do not get served here.
Applebees? Gag. Please; just shoot me now.
ate at one a couple times years ago. Very pedestrian. I wouldn't go if it was next door.
White Parties? Sounds like Ron Paul followers are gonna love this.
Poor baby, unless it's a 'black party' you ain't gonna like or endorse it?
We have been having some major problems with our Applebees. We are almost to the point of not going. We sometimes end up there between 9 and 10pm as a family. I will stop going if they want to do this. Applebees was suppose to be a a sports pub and family restaurant. What a joke.
It's obnoxious and WAY too loud. I walked in one door this week and out the other door 29 seconds later.
It sounds like the death of Applebee's. Make your food, service model and price / value right. That's how you survive. Looks like El Torito all over again. I hope they have already pursued lease buy-backs. The end will be even sooner.
Actually, this doesn't shock me one bit. It's already pretty much there. We can't go to our local Applebee's for the 1/2 off appetizers due to the loud booming music. You can't hear conversation from across the high top due to this. It's always the same REALLY BAD dance music too. We thought it would be a good place to hit up when we moved into our new house. Having no appliances meant we had to go out for the first week. Gets expensive and 1\2 off apps sounded like the perfect short-term dinner solution. How wrong we were!!!! And if this actually continues, we won't be going back.
...so now they will be adding "ridiculously" loud music to the oft lousy service, and redundant food choices??? Guess we'll be eating elsewhere.
" franchise owners noticed a younger crowd hanging out towards the end of the night and downing drinks"..hey brilliant observation Applebees!Wow, young people stay out later than older people! Way to stay ahead of business trends there!
"Today" is too insipid to know or report this, but the whole thing is just a backdoor way to get around laws regarding nightclub zoning. Kind of how Walgreens is slowly changing into a grocery store, Hooters portrays itself as "family friendly," etc. This save them millions and millions on taxes, which you and I have to pay for.
They did this with Coco's, they did this with Red Robin, who thankfully pulled that plug before it was shut down. Unless it is in a seperate area (sa a banquet room not being used for lack of traffic) with sound baffling, you will loose lots of business from folks doing quick dinner meeting before the big presentations. With very slow and poor service (caliafornia here) and sub par food preperations, it would need Chef Ramsey to come and make over each and every one in Califonria to get it right...and even then, they will loose more business. I for one will leave as the food costs will go up to support getting the clubs off the ground. Been there done that and never again. You have lost me fore sure.